


Breaking Chains

by Donatellosgirl36



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 1987)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Romance, Self-Discovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2018-09-14 20:14:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 39,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9200540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Donatellosgirl36/pseuds/Donatellosgirl36
Summary: Rocksteady has chosen to go straight. But being good isn’t always easy. He must choose between his own path or the one that society tries to thrust upon him. Meanwhile, Donnie tries to find his drive again. And things are heating up between Leo and Sams. 87-verse.





	1. Baby Steps

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own the turtles.
> 
> A/N: This is a sequel to "The Monster's Sister" - a request by DaLadyofSouls on ffnet. Also though this is in the 87 universe, it is set in 1997. Samantha is Rocksteady's younger sister. Rocksteady - Joey- was returned to human form in the previous story.

Don rolled over, stretching as he woke. His gaze wandered his alcove for a moment. A project laid half-finished on his desk. Beside it, several books lay open with note pads and pencils. He gave the scene a small sigh. Lately it felt like he didn’t have much desire to finish things. They’d all been a bit off lately, he supposed, and he knew the reason why. His gaze shifted across the bedroom area to where Leo’s alcove was. He could see his brother’s shoulder over the edge of the covers and one green arm wrapped around a smaller bundle beside him. That smaller bundle was the reason for their family’s recent feelings of imbalance.

Samantha represented different things to each of them. To Michelangelo she was a sister, who enjoyed playing games and laughing at his jokes. To Raphael she was a reminder that their eldest brother was - for a lack of a better term - human. That he was still vulnerable to the emotions of any other man. She was both Leonardo’s greatest strength and greatest weakness. But to Donatello her presence was bitter-sweet. The way she loved his brother gave him hope that one day he might find the same and yet at the same time it reminded him of what he didn’t have.

It wasn’t that he was envious of his brother. He was thrilled that Sams loved him so thoroughly. She, however, was also an unfortunate reminder of their incredible isolation and individual loneliness. Sighing again, he climbed out of bed and headed for his lab in a vain attempt to distract his mind.

Samantha snuggled a little deeper into Leo’s chest and his arm tightened around her. He smiled slightly. His small single bed was not really designed for two grown adults, but the couch was occupied. Not that he minded in the least. In fact, it was very much the opposite. He enjoyed every minute of her warm slender body pressed against his and the vanilla scent of her hair filling his senses. It seemed as if in the past few weeks since she and Joey had moved in, he had become very accustomed to holding her close as they slept. They seemed to fit together so naturally.

Sams for her part seemed genuinely happy to wake each morning in his arms. She also seemed to have a sixth sense about him, able to anticipate his needs. And with each passing day she became more a part of him.

He dipped his head a bit to rub his cheek across the mound of unruly curls. Her fingers caressed his arm and he shivered. With a single touch she could make his blood rush. “Mornin’.” She murmured softly.

His smile grew as he dipped his head further to brush his lips across her brow. “Morning.”

“You don’t suppose Splinter would let you sleep in, do you?”

Leo chuckled softly at the familiar question. “Sorry, sweetheart, but you know he won’t.”

She let out a small sigh that held more disappointment than frustration.  “One day he will. But for now,” she tilted her head back to meet his gaze, “I’ll just have to settle for making you want to stay here with me.”

He ran a large finger down her cheek. “I already want to stay here with you.” His hand moved to cup her head as he met her in warm kiss that sent waves of fire through both their bodies. He smiled again. “You know, this is my second favorite part of the day.”

She blinked at him. “Second? What’s your first favorite then?”

His smile grew. “Bedtime.”

She smiled as well, tucking herself back under his chin with a contented sigh. “Me too.”

There was an audible groan from the alcove next to them. “Will you two knock it off? You’re gonna give me a cavity!” Raph groused, his voice half muffled in sleep.

Sams snickered and Leo rolled his eyes. “I think that’s my cue to get up.” He told her softly. Raph was still giving him a hard time, though most of it was out of sight of Sams. And Leo preferred it that way. He didn’t want her thinking she was causing problems, when in reality Raph and he had always had a tumultuous relationship.

Samantha pouted a little as he climbed out of the bed. “Raphael, you’re such a party pooper.” She called to her boyfriend’s red-banded brother. Leo smirked as he pulled the covers back up and squeezed her hand.

“Yep, that’s me,” Raph appeared outside Leo’s alcove, “the party pooper.”

“You got that right! You’re all poop and no party.” Mikey swatted his brother good-naturedly on the shell as he passed him. Raph grumbled under his breath as he followed his younger brother to the dojo.

Leo shook his head at his brothers and then smiled at Sams again. “See you at breakfast.” She nodded and he left for their morning training session. When he was gone, she stretched and rolled over to sit up. Reaching out, she opened one of the two drawers Leo had given her in his three-drawer dresser. He had been extremely sweet and accommodating since she and her brother had moved in. Which was one of the reasons she was determined to find a new job, and find Joey one as well. It wasn’t that she wanted to move out – though Joey likely did – but she wanted to contribute. She had gotten a good taste of standing on her own two feet right before she’d met Leo and Joey had returned to her life. And she had liked it. It had given her a sense of self-worth. Maybe the job had sucked, but she hadn’t really minded. It had been enough to pay rent and buy food, what more could she ask for.

Pulling a pair of clothes from the dresser she sighed, wondering if Joey would try to force her to move out with him or if Leo would even allow it. She smiled a bit to herself. She highly doubted Leo would and she couldn’t blame him. Every night wrapped in his strong warm arms felt like heaven. She felt safer in his embrace than she had her entire life. And now that she knew how it felt, she was not willing to give it up for anything. She gave a determined nod to herself as she headed for the bathroom to change. Joey was sprawled across the couch, still snoring. His long legs dangled off one end. She paused to give one of his large feet a kick with one of her small ones. “Wake up, Joey! Time for another day of job hunting.”

He cracked open one eye, mumbled something incoherent and promptly went back to sleep. Sams rolled her eyes and made her way to the bathroom. After a quick shower, she dressed and returned to find Joey pulling on his boots. He gave her a slightly annoyed look but followed her into the kitchen, where she started to prepare breakfast.

Her cooking skills still held something to be desired, but she was learning thanks to Michelangelo and even Splinter. Leo apparently had some ability to cook as well, though his pertained mainly to things with directions. He could follow instructions on a box, but had no culinary skill beyond that. Both Donatello and Raphael seemed to have learned this basic skill as well.

She frowned to herself at the thought of Donatello. Something was obviously bothering him, but she couldn’t figure out what. She’d been around the brothers enough now that she knew their moods and how they typically behaved. And something was off about Donnie. It wasn’t like he was mad at her or Leo, but in a strange way it felt like he was avoiding them as much as possible. In the last week, it seemed as if he had become even more reclusive than normal.

She turned off the stove and carried the pile of pancakes, bacon and eggs to the table, where Joey sat with a newspaper opened to the want-ad section. “Any luck?” She went to fetch the plates.

“Nope. I can’t pronounce half this stuff.” He frowned. “Let’s face it, sis, nobody’s gonna want to hire someone like me, who didn’t even finish school and can’t read good.”

Samantha sighed as she set the plates down, not certain what to say. “Read well.” Donnie corrected as he and his brothers entered the room. “It’s read well, not good.”

Joey snorted in annoyance. “Whatever. It means the same thing.”

“Still no luck?” Leo asked, slipping into a chair across from him.

“Just bad luck.” Joey dropped the paper in frustration.

“Maybe you should let us help you look.” Mikey smiled, trying to be helpful. He looked over the rather large section of want-ads that covered five pages. He frowned. “Uh, on second thought, maybe Donatello should help.” He passed his brother the paper.

Don shook his head a bit in dismay before opening the newspaper. He scrolled through each page quickly eliminating whole categories. Finally, he stopped and pointed at a section that pertained mainly to hard labor. “There’s an opening for a stocker at Jay’s Grocery.”

Joey didn’t look at him. “Already been there. They wanted me to work the register too. Can’t read good enough for that.”

Don frowned and went back to the paper. “What about at Wong’s Restaurant?“

“Nope, can’t speak Chinese.”

“Oh, here’s one at a shipping company-“

“Don’t have a driver’s license.”

Don’s frown was becoming frustrated. Then he spotted an ad that looked new and perfect. “There’s a spot at the docks, unloading cargo bins.”

Joey finally looked at him. “Really?”

Don pulled a pen from his belt and circled the ad. “Right here.” He pointed at it as he passed the paper back.

Samantha smiled as she sat beside Leo. “That’s sounds fantastic!”

“How about you, Sams? Any luck with your search?” Raph asked as he sipped his orange juice.

Her smile widened just a bit. “Actually, I might have one on the hook. I’m going by today to check on it.”

Leo blinked in surprise. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“Because it’s not a for-sure thing yet. I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, especially not mine.” She glanced at her watch. “Speaking of which, we better get going.”

She stood and Leo caught her hand. “You have your com, right?” Worry filled his gaze. He hated her going topside without him, even if her brother was with her.

She smiled tolerantly, relishing his concern. “Yes, of course.” She bent to peck his cheek. “We’ll be back this afternoon, sooner if we both land a job.” She waved at the others. “Bye guys! Wish us luck!”

“Good luck!” Leo and Don said in unison.

“Bye dudette!” Mikey called as Sams and Joey disappeared through the main entrance.

“Well, that sounded promising.” Raph stuffed a morsel of pancake in his mouth and mumbled. “Maybe we can get rid of Joey soon.”

Leo frowned. He knew it was hard for Rocksteady to go straight like he had promised and sometimes he slipped up, falling back into old habits. But to be honest, the guy was really trying. He wanted to show Sams that he could be a good big brother without having to resort to criminal activity. And Leo knew the key to his success was giving him a safe, positive environment. “Just cut the guy a break, Raphael. He’s trying.”

“Yeah, well, I wish he’d try not to eat all the food.” Mikey whined. “The dude eats more than I do!”

“We all must share the burden of our new friends, Michelangelo.” Splinter entered, leaning on his cane. “Besides, you could do to not eat so much.”

Mikey pouted. “Aw, come on, Master. I don’t eat _that_ much.”

Raph snorted. “Rocksteady used to be rhino. At least he has an excuse for wanting to eat so much. What’s yours?”

“Joey.” Leo reminded him sharply.

Raph glared. “His name used to be Rocksteady. I don’t know why you insist we call him Joey. What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is he asked us to. That name reminds him of the life he once lived. He’s trying not to be that guy anymore. He wants to be better – for Sams.” Leo was certain this was at least the tenth time they’d had this discussion. “And we should respect his request.”

Across from him, Donnie sighed having heard this argument several times now. He rose from his seat and rinsed off his plate as Splinter began lecturing Raph on being considerate of others – also something Don had heard many times.

Leo looked up in time to see Donnie exit the kitchen. “Donatello, wait up!” He hurried after him, catching up near the door to his lab.

Don paused with a curious expression. “What’s up?”

Leo frowned. “Is there anything bothering you, Donatello?”

“Huh?” Donnie blinked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’ve kind of been….sort of….standoffish lately.” He looked down at his hands. “Have I or Sams upset you or something?”

Don’s eyes grew wide and he grasped his brother’s shoulder. “No, no. You haven’t done anything.”

“Because if we have, I-“

Donnie shook his head. “No, I promise. Neither of you have done anything wrong.”

It was Leo’s turn to look confused. “Then what’s the matter?”

Don sighed, dropping his hands and looking away. “It’s fine, Leonardo. I’m just…going through something.”

Leo’s frown intensified. He grasped his brother’s arm in a warm but firm hold. “You know you can tell me anything. I’m here, if you want to talk about it.”

Don smiled weakly. “I will, when I figure out exactly what _it_ is.”

Leo released him and watched forlornly as his younger brother once again entered his lab, placing himself in self-appointed isolation. Leo released a heavy sigh. At least he knew now that it wasn’t something he or Sams had done. And if it had been something Joey had done, Don would have immediately said so. Because although they had opened their home to Joey, that generosity did not eliminate ten years of bad blood between them.  He was Sams’ brother and that meant they tolerated him, even tried to help him. But in the backs of each other minds he was still Rocksteady, he still represented the Shredder in some way. At least the change in his appearance helped some. Thanks to Shredder’s retro-mutagen gun, he’d been changed back to a human.

When Leo looked at him with his blonde hair and blue eyes, he couldn’t help seeing Sams in his features.  And maybe that was why he’d been so tolerant of their ex-enemy. That and he knew how important Joey was to Sams. So, he would continue to play the role of arbitrator, mitigating the tension between his brothers and their guest.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

“Welcome aboard, Samantha. I hope you enjoy working here.” The brunette with one green eye and one blue one smiled at the slightly younger woman.

Samantha’s own blue eyes were bright. “Really? I’m hired.”

Katherine, her new manager, laughed. “Yes, you are. Can you start on Monday?”

“Oh, I can start this afternoon if you want!” Sams’ smile would have lit a room.

Katherine laughed again. “That’s not necessary. I’ve got this weekend covered. Unless you need to, I’d suggest you enjoy this time and spend it with someone special.” She glanced out the window where Joey could be seen standing, waiting for his sister.

Sams followed her gaze and chuckled. “That’s my brother, Joey. But I do have someone I’d like to celebrate with.” She grabbed the woman’s hand, giving it a warm squeeze. “Thank you so much for the opportunity. I promise you won’t regret it.”

The light in Katherine’s eyes faded ever so slightly, but her smile remained bright. “I’ll hold you to that. See you at nine on Monday.”

“You got it!” Sams continued to smile as she practically bounced out of the little book store.

Joey snickered as he watched her exit the shop with a large dopey grin. “I take it, you got the job.”

“Yep! One down, one to go. Now let’s get you one, while we are on a roll.” She wrapped an arm around one of his large biceps.

Joey felt his stomach do flipflops at the thought of getting him a job. Despite everyone’s encouragement, he wasn’t so sure he’d be able to get one. He was inept in so many ways. His youth and young adulthood had been ripped away from him by circumstances beyond his control for the most part. Yeah, it had been his decision to hook up with Shredder, but he’d never intended on having to spend nearly ten years in his service with nothing to show for it. He sighed inwardly, allowing his sister to pull him along through the crowded city streets and onto a subway car. It only took a few stops to reach the docks. After a bit of searching they finally found the shipping yard.

They paused to watch the high-profile container crane as it lifted a large container from a ship to the lorries that carried it away. Then they turned towards the office area, which was part of a warehouse. Joey looked around as they entered. “Never seen one of these while someone was still usin’ it.”

Sams elbowed him and shot him a look to quiet him. She pulled the newspaper from her back pocket, where she’d tucked it before leaving the lair. “Says here you’re supposed to ask for the foreman.” She lifted her head to look around. “Where do you suppose we find him?”

“I’m bettin’ it’s that guy.” Joey jabbed a finger at a man who was yelling orders at several others.

Samantha made a face of slight amusement. “Oh. Well, I’ll wait for you outside.”

As she started to turn away, trepidation shot through his chest. What if they made him fill out paperwork or made him sign stuff or….or…. “But-“

She smiled, patting his shoulder. “You’ll be fine. These are our kind people, remember? Just treat them like you used to Lugnut.” She didn’t give him any further chance to protest or get cold feet as she quickly walked back out of the warehouse.

Joey swallowed hard. He knew his sister was counting on him and he needed to prove himself. Besides he had no intention of living with those turtles forever. A guy needed his space after all. Squaring his shoulders, he marched confidently up to the man that had been shouting a moment before. “Sir, are you the foreman?”

The man turned to face him. He was a big guy with a graying mustache. “Yeah, who’s askin’?”

“I saw you were lookin’ for help.”

The man looked him up and down. “You strong?”

“Yeah.”

“Can you read?”

Joey frowned a little. “Mostly, just not big words.” He admitted honestly.

The man smirked. “Son, around here you just have to know your numbers and your alphabet. We ain’t rocket scientist. You got any other skills I should know about?”

Thinking quickly, Joey pointed out the large open doors at the cranes. “I’ve driven one of those a few times.”

The man raised a fuzzy gray brow. “How many times?”

“Maybe a dozen or so.”

“Be here at six tomorrow mornin’.” The man started to turn away and yell at one of the workers.

Joey blinked several times. “Sir, did you say-?“

“It’s Frank, kid. Frank Wilson. By the way, what’s yours?”

“Joey Riggs.” He squinted at the man. “Are you sayin’ I’m hired?”

“Yep. Now, I got work to do. So go home, eat a good meal and get some sleep. You’re gonna need it.”

Joey felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest. It couldn’t be this easy. Could it? He grinned broadly. “Thank you, sir- uh, Mr. Wilson. I’ll be here.”

The man just gave a nod before he began a new round of orders at the people scurrying around like busy ants. Joey turned and strolled back out the large doors with an awestruck expression. He’d just landed his first real job. But his expression suddenly changed as he spotted Sams leaning against the wall of the warehouse with two men crowding her. She didn’t look too happy either.


	2. Chances

Sams left Joey standing in the middle of the warehouse to fend for himself. She wanted to help, but she knew it would only make him look bad if she did. He had to stand on his own and she knew he could, if he would just try. Finding a place just outside the large doors, she leaned against the wall, smiling at the bright blue sky. It reminded her of Leonardo’s mask. A mask she often got to see him without now as they slept in the same bed. She closed her eyes, recalling his amber gaze from that morning. It was a look he reserved only for her – a mixture of tenderness and fire. She felt her cheeks flush as the familiar feeling of desire blossomed in her chest. He had no idea just how gorgeous he was. She could almost feel his skin against hers and it sent a thrill through her body.

“Hey, there, lookin’ for some company?” The male voice snapped her out of her revelry.

She opened her eyes to find two scruffy, dirty men walking up to her. She frowned. “No, I’m waiting on someone.”

The man’s buddy sneered. “Well, if you were lookin’, we’ll be off in half an hour.”

She shook her head. “Nope, still not looking.”

The first man got a little too close for comfort, lifting one of her curly locks to twirl it around his finger. “That’s too bad, because today’s payday.”

She now glared outright as she took a step away from him. Luck apparently was on her side that day as Joey stepped out of the warehouse. When he spotted her, his brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed. She knew that look all too well. He started for them and she rushed to intercept him. He didn’t need to cause any trouble because of those two jerks.

“Joey! That was fast. Did you get the job?”

She blocked his path, but he continued to glare over her head at the two men. “Yeah, I start in the mornin’. Were they-?”

“That’s great!” She grabbed his arm and turned him away from the warehouse and the two men, who were still watching them. “Now we really have something to celebrate!” She forced out the thought of the two men, instead letting a big smile spread across her face as they headed home.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Leonardo caught Raphael’s flying kick and used his momentum to toss him across the dojo. “Umph!” Raph laid on his plastron for a moment. “Is that the third of fourth time I’ve ate mat today?”

“Actually, I think it’s the fifth.” Leo provided with a smirk.

“Oh, great.” Raph slowly pushed himself off the floor. “I think that’s my cue to toss in the towel.”

Leo frowned. “You’ll never learn this technique, if you keep quitting.”

“I’ve learned what the floor taste like five times already, so I think that’s enough learning for one day.” He sauntered over to pick up a towel. “Besides, shouldn’t you be wantin’ to clean up. Sams should be here soon.” He glanced at his brother and saw him drop his gaze to the floor. Raph frowned now. “What’s up?”

Leo looked up at him. “Huh?”

“Usually you’d be climbin’ the walls about now, ready for her to get back. So, what’s with the look?”

Leo shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’m a little nervous about her getting a job. It would mean she’d be gone a lot…up there…with other humans.”

Raph’s frown intensified. “You don’t trust her?”

Leo’s head shot up and a flicker of anger passed his features. “No, that’s not it. I do trust her.” He sighed running a hand across his bald scalp. “But what if she realizes….she could do better? What if she…?” He couldn’t finish the sentence. It hurt to think she’d ever consider leaving him. But she was young, beautiful, smart, vivacious and…perfect. How could any man not be interested in her? And why would she want a turtle, if she could have a human mate?

Raph watched pain flicker across his brother’s face. He hated to admit it, but Sams was good for Leo. She made him happy in a way nothing else could. She gave him purpose and focus. Even his ninjutsu was benefiting from their relationship. He now had someone to protect, someone that gave him the drive to fully master his art. There was no doubt that Leo was the most skilled of them, but even he could become distracted at times. But not since Sams, not since she’d been hurt by her father, not since he’d carried her home and laid her in his own bed and declared she was staying with them. No one had questioned him while he carried that dangerous glint in his eye.

To look at his brother now, where he stood with eyes downcast and hands twitching nervously at his sides, Raph was beginning to understand just how important she was to him. His own heart twisted with a twinge of guilt. He’d placed those thoughts in his brother’s head, so he needed to reassure him. “She won’t do nothin’ like that.”

Leo looked up at him again, but doubt still loomed behind his eyes. “How do you know?”

“Because she lived up there for more than twenty years. She had her choice of any human she wanted,” he smirked, “but she chose your ugly mug instead.”

A slow tentative smile grew on the older turtle’s face. Raph was right after all. She had lived up there her whole life and she’d had the chance to look for human guys, but instead she’d fallen for him. And he’d fallen for her – hard.

“We’re back!” Samantha’s voice broke through the lair like a spring breeze, making Leo’s small smile grow even bigger.

Raph shook his head in slight amusement as he watched his brother grab a towel and rush out of the dojo. He followed at a bit slower pace, arriving at the same time as Mikey and Don.

“Well?” The youngest brother prompted as Leo wiped his face with the towel.

Sams couldn’t stop her smile. “We both got jobs!”

Leo stepped forward and lifted her off the ground in a crushing embrace. “That’s wonderful!” She didn’t seem to mind the fact that he was still covered in sweat as she giggled, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck.

“Congratulations, dude!” Mikey clamped a hand on Joey’s shoulder. “I think this calls for some celebration pizzas.”

“Did I hear correctly?” Splinter appeared in the doorway to the living room. “You have both acquired employment?”

Leo lowered Sams to her feet, but didn’t let her go. “Yeah, isn’t it awesome, Master Splinter!”

Splinter smiled broadly. “It is indeed.”

“We are very happy for you both.” Don squeezed Sams’ shoulder and smiled at Joey.

“I bet it’ll feel good makin’ your own dough.” Raph folded his arms and leaned against the couch with a smirk. “Maybe even findin’ your own place.” He directed the last statement at Joey.

Joey shot him a quick glare. “Tryin’ to get rid of me already, Raphael?”

Leo cleared his throat, stopping whatever smart remark Raph was going to make. “I’m sure that’s not what Raphael meant at all. I’m sure he simply meant that you’re probably getting tired of living down here….in the sewers.” Leo felt Sams tense slightly in his arms and chanced a glance at her. She just smiled up at him, not giving him any indication of why she had startled.

Joey snorted, giving their sofa a glare. “Yeah, well, I can’t say much for the sleepin’ arrangements.”

Samantha wrapped her arms around Leo, snuggling against his chest. “I like them.”

Leo gave a soft chuckle, his arms tightening around her. Mikey snickered. “We know why you like them.”

“Mm, hm.” Sams hummed happily, her eyes closed.

Raph and Don snickered as well when a small blush blossomed on the eldest brother’s cheeks. “Well, uh, Michelangelo, how about we get those pizzas going?”

“I’ve got a better idea, dude. Let’s hit Vinney’s!” Mikey said with his usual amount of bravado.

Raph nodded. “Yeah, we haven’t been to Vinney’s in a while.”

Donnie smiled. “I agree. I’ve been craving a jellybean and chocolate sauce pizza.”

“That’s settle then. Let’s grab our coats.” Leo turned to Splinter. “Would you like us to bring you something back, Sensei?”

Splinter shook his furry head. “No thank you, Leonardo. I believe I still have some sushi.” He smiled. “Have a good time, my sons.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

It wasn’t long before the group had made it topside and were piled into a large corner booth. Joey sat on the outside edge watching with a touch of disgust as the four turtles put away a pizza a piece. That wasn’t the part that was disgusting though. It was the toppings they were using, they were stomach turning. He and Sams had ordered a fairly ordinary meat lovers. He could have probably finished off the large by himself and as it was, Sams only ate two slices.

It was still odd eating and living with his old enemies. The turtles were do-gooders through and through, which was a concept he was still trying to come to terms with himself. He knew he’d made a deal with Leonardo. He’d go straight in return for being returned to his human state. And he wanted to, he _really_ did. But old habits die hard. He was still tempted to take what he wanted, instead of paying for things. He sighed inwardly as he finished the last of his pizza. “Well, I better head back. I gotta get some sleep. I’m supposed to be at work at six.”

He stood and stretched, looking back at the group of… How did he classify them now? They weren’t enemies, but they weren’t really friends either. He was surprised when Donatello pushed away his empty pan. “I’ll come with you. I have some things I need to finish up in my lab.”

Mikey yawned, patting his full stomach. “Me too. After that, I’m ready to sack out.” When Raph didn’t start to follow, Mikey elbowed him. “Right, bro?”

Raph started to respond and then noticed his younger brother eyeing the couple. “Oh, um, yeah.” He stretched and yawned dramatically. “I’m real tired too.”

Mikey gave his arm a tug and the three brothers headed for the door with Joey. Leo heard Joey snort. “You guys better keep it down tonight, or I’ll have to pound you.” Raphael’s smart-alecky retort was cut off by the door.

Leo looked down at Sams. “Do you want to head back too?”

She smiled, shaking her head. “I’d rather spend some time with you.”

Leo’s smile was gentle. “Me too. How about a movie?”

“Sounds great.” She snuggled into his side and he placed a kiss on her brow.

Their evening passed well. They laughed at the comedy she’d picked and stopped on the way home for an ice cream cone. By the time they returned to the lair, everyone was fast asleep. Leo trembled as she lowered herself into his bed beside him. Every single time she did it, it felt like he was dreaming. That this beautiful creature was willing to lay next to him. More than that – wanted to lay next to him. His breath hitched as her lips brushed his. A moment later he found himself delving into her inviting lips. She tasted of the strawberry ice cream she’d eaten earlier and she smelled of her vanilla shampoo. He rumbled softly, loosing himself in the moment. He rolled her to her back, half draping himself across her slender form. She panted softly as he broke the kiss. Dipping his head, he whispered softly in her ear. “Sams…I love you.”

His words sent a wave of heat through her body and her arms latched around him, pulling him flush against her. She nibbled his bottom lip and his whole body trembled. “I love you too, Leo. Don’t ever let me go.”

His body hardened as her hot breath danced across his cheek and the desire in her voice swept over him. His soft rumble increased and one hand slid up her side to grasp a breast in a firm but gentle grip. She moaned and his lips crashed against hers, swallowing the noise and sending a pleasant vibration through his system.

The sound of a mattress creaking and Mikey’s distinct mumble stilled Leo’s movements, his senses snapping back to him. He leaned away from her, meeting her cloudy gaze in the dim light. “Sams, what are we doing?”

She pulled at his shoulder. “Leo…”

His heart raced at the barely contained passion in her voice. He clenched his eyes closed, forcing his mind to focus. “We can’t. Not here. Not now.” Her expression dropped and she let out a shuddering breath, but gave a small nod, unable to form coherent words. He let out his own shuddering sigh, rolling onto his side and crushing her against him. Pulling the covers up to cover them again, he murmured softly in her ear. “I’ll never let you go, Sams. I’m yours as long as you’ll have me.”

Her grip tightened on him. “Forever…Then it’s forever.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Rocksteady felt the soft hand on his shoulder, jostling him from sleep. “Joey, you have to get up. You have to be at work in an hour.” He groaned and started to push his sister’s hand away. “You can’t be late your first day. It was hard enough to find this job.” Her shaking became a little rougher. “Please, Joey.” As always his little sister’s plea, tugged at his heart.

Slowly he sat up, looking at her groggily. “What time is it?”

“Five.”

He blinked at her, finally able to focus. Behind her, leaning in the doorway, was Leo. He was devoid of any gear or mask. He looked a bit tired, obviously woken when Sams had climbed out of bed. It was strange to see one of the turtles looking like that. It seemed to make them look vulnerable and far less lethal.

Joey at last stood and stretched. Samantha urged him to the kitchen. “Now, I made you some breakfast and packed you a lunch. What time do you get off?”

Joey shrugged. “Don’t know. The guy didn’t say.”

Leo yawned behind him. “Might’ve been a good thing to ask. You don’t know if it’s an eight, ten or twelve hour shift then?”

Joey rolled his eyes. “No, I was too surprised I got it to ask any questions.”

“So, I guess that means you don’t know how much you’re getting paid either?” Leo responded in a grumpy tone.

Joey turned in his chair to glare at Leo. “I thought you’d be happy that I even got one.”

Leo flinched, his gaze shooting to Samantha. “Sorry. I _am_ glad.”

Sams frowned as she walked around and put a hand on his arms. “Why don’t you go back to bed? I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Leo frowned as well, but nodded. When he was gone, Joey snorted. “What do you see in that guy?”

Sams sighed. “Let’s face it, Joey. No matter who I was with, you wouldn’t approve. But for your information, I love him – a lot.”

“But why a turtle, Sams?”

She smiled down at her hands clasped in front of her on the table. “Because he loves me. And he’s good to me. I need him in a way I could never find the words to explain.”

Joey let out a heavy sigh, pushing away his empty plate. “Well, I’m just glad I’ll be makin’ some money now. That way we can get out of here.” He smiled wistfully. “It’ll be just the two of us, like it used to be in the old days.” He picked up his lunch and stood. “See you when I get off, whatever time that is.”

Sams watched him go, a cold ball forming in her stomach. She’d half been expecting him to want her to move out with him, but it hit her hard nonetheless. She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay there with Leo, but how could she tell her brother that. It would crush him. He was trying to go straight for her. Everything he ever did was for her.

Sams bit her lip and stared down at her hands as she tried to figure out what to say - what to do. No matter what, she’d end up hurting someone. She sat for a long time mulling over her problem when a large familiar green hand landed on top of her own. She slowly blinked up at Leo. He was dressed in his gear and mask, but a frown marred his face.

“You okay, Sams?” She gave a small nod, which only made him frown more. Pulling out a chair, he sat beside her. He searched her features and squeezed her hands. She was tense and looked like she was on the verge of tears. His mind went back to the night before. “Is it something I did?” She shook her head, but didn’t meet his eyes. “Was it something Joey did?” She hesitated only briefly before shaking her head again. He cupped her face in two strong hands. “Talk to me, Sams? Let me help, Sweetheart.”

Her whole body seemed to relax and she slipped her arms around his neck. Nuzzling against it, she breathed him in - a mix of peppers and earth. “I meant what I said last night, Leo.” She said resolutely, resting her head on his shoulder.

His arms tightened around her waist as a rumble grew in his chest. “So, did I.” She lifted her head and he kissed her deeply, emphasizing the depth of his words.

“Hey, Leonardo, I was-.” Leo turned to look at Donnie in the doorway. The younger turtle blushed. “Uh, sorry. Never mind, it can wait.” The genius made a hasty exit, making Sams frown.

“There’s something bothering him.”

Leo looked back at her with the same frown. “Yeah, I tried to talk to him. But he didn’t tell me much.” His expression fell into one of hurt. Another look that she seemed only privy to.

She touched his cheek. “Do you mind if I try?”

A slow smile grew on his mouth. “I’d like that.”

Her smile was much larger. “Don’t worry. I’m pretty good at getting secrets out of people.”

He chuckled softly and gave her another small peck, before she stood. “Good luck.”


	3. Temptation

Samantha stepped into Donnie’s lab to find him fiddling with something. “Hey, are you okay?”

Don lifted his head to look at her. “I already told Leo, I’m fine.” His gaze went right back down to the machine he was tinkering with.

She frowned moving around until she stood directly across from him. “You don’t seem fine.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but the look on her face made him decide against it. He sighed in defeat. “That obvious, huh?” She nodded and waited patiently for him to continue. He set down his screwdriver. “I don’t know what it is exactly. I guess, I’ve been feeling like I don’t have much purpose anymore.” He motioned to his lab. “I used to have reasons to keep inventing, because we were always needing something new to stop our enemies. But lately…” He shrugged, his gaze going back to the machine in front of him. “I’ve been feeling a bit like all my inventions - useless.”

She leaned on the workstation with a little smirk. “It sounds like you need a job too.”

Don sighed, rolling the screwdriver back and forth. “Yeah, well there isn’t that many opportunities for a mutant turtle. I know because of April we’re sort of famous, but fame and acceptance aren’t the same thing. Humans will never fully accept us into their society.” He looked up at her and the sadness in his gaze tore at her heart. “Leonardo was very lucky to find someone like you, that fully accepted him as he was. However, the chances of that happening again for the rest of us are extremely slim. Just like the chances of one of us getting and holding down a job long term.”

Sams frowned, setting a hand on top of his. “I wish I could do something, but to be honest I have no idea. I’m doing good to keep Joey on the right track. He still wants to pound anyone that looks at me sideways and I have to remind him that not everyone is out to get him. At least, thanks to you guys, he’s got a second chance.”

Don smiled ever so slightly. “We did it for you, Sams. You’re good for Leonardo. He needs you.”

At the mention of her turtle-love she smiled brightly. “I need him too.” She squeezed Don’s hand. “But I don’t want to make any of you unhappy either.”

“You’re not.” He quickly reassured her.

She released his hand and stood up straight. “Promise me if I do, you’ll tell me.”

Don’s smile was much wider now. “I will.”

She nodded and left him to his work. She didn’t have to go far before Leo appeared. He glanced over her shoulder at his brother’s lab entrance. “Well, what do you think?”

She frowned. “I think he’s feeling…aimless. And,” she averted her gaze, “lonely.”

“Lonely?” Leo felt his heart ache for his brother. Sams presence was a constant reminder of their alienation from the outside world.  But he couldn’t imagine her not being there anymore. She was there when he woke and when he went to sleep. She was there when he needed to talk to someone other than his brothers or father. She was there to calm him down when Raph ticked him off. She was just there – a permanent fixture in his life.

Sams watched Leo’s expression drop to one of sympathy and distress. Taking the few steps between them, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He shuddered at her touch and dropped his head to her shoulder. She didn’t know what to say. She knew it hurt him to know his brother was in pain, but she wasn’t willing to let go of what they had. Maybe with time, things would get better and possibly even change for everyone.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Joey wiped at the sweat dripping from his brow beneath the hardhat. He couldn’t remember when the last time he’d done so much manual labor. He was certain though it had to have been some time Shredder had punished him and Bebop. _Well, at least I don’t have someone calling me stupid the whole time._

The warehouse was warm despite the cool breeze outside. As the low man on the totem pole, he was stuck arranging crates and boxes inside. So far he’d been doing his best to avoid the other workers. It wasn’t like he was used to making friends. A whistle blew and he glanced up at the clock. It was lunch time or at least according to the foreman it was. He’d been told his schedule when he’d showed up that morning. He was to work twelve hour shifts. But he was due several breaks and a lunch during that time.

Frank seemed tough but fair. He was a far cry from what Rocksteady was used to. He shook his head as he headed for his locker to take out the lunch Sams had made him. With Shredder it had been like exchanging one abusive parent for another. And maybe that was why he hadn’t minded it all that much. Shredder in some twisted way had reminded him of his father. But his primary reason for hanging on for those ten years had been the hopes he’d finally make it big and come home to his sister loaded with dough. That plan had obviously not worked out.

Joey sat down at one of the long tables in the break room and opened his paper bag. Sams had filled it to the brim with all sorts of things. He couldn’t help the smile as he pulled the little note she’d put on top out. It read, “Good luck!” Although it was somewhat dorky, he felt his day brighten a bit nonetheless.

The door opened and three men came in carrying lunchboxes. “Yeah, the guy said six Gs.” A guy with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes said as they settled at one of the other tables in the room.

“Sounds good, but we’re gonna need some muscle to help with the loadin’.” A second man with dark hair informed his companions.

Joey frowned. He’d heard enough of that sort of talk to know exactly what they were talking about. He kept his head down and studiously examined his sandwich.

“Yeah, McDermott got sloppy.” The third man was thicker in build than the others, but not as tall as the blonde-haired man.

Joey could feel their eyes on him. He took a large bite of the sandwich and chewed slowly. _Don’t get involved. Don’t get involved._

“Hey, fella.” The dark-haired guy slid into the seat across from him. “You’re new, right?”

 _Ah, crud…_ Joey chewed and swallowed. “Yeah.”

“How ya like it so far?” The third man asked.

“S’okay, I guess. Just different than what I’m used to.” Joey reached back into the bag and pulled out an apple.

“I bet you ain’t gettin’ paid much, bein’ new and all.” Said the blonde, who looks strangely familiar to Rocksteady.

Joey shrugged. He already knew what they were getting at and was trying to be as evasive as possible.

“Well, we got this gig on the side and we need some help loadin’ boxes. Nothin’ special, but the guy pays good. Want to make some fast cash?” The dark-haired guy asked.

Joey looked down at his apple. “No thanks. I just wanna eat my lunch.”

The bigger man waved a hand at his companions. “Fellas, give this nice gentleman a break. He just started workin’ here. I’m sure he’s got lots of things on his mind.” He fingered the note which Joey’d left on the table. “Like maybe a wife and family to support. He don’t need extra stuff to worry about. Besides, we haven’t even introduced ourselves yet.”

“You’re right! How rude of us!” The dark-haired man placed a hand on his chest. “I’m Bobby Fitch. That’s Henry Romano.” He pointed at the bigger man. “And that guy is Chuck Daniels.” He indicated the blonde man. “What’s your name?”

Joey opened his mouth and almost said Rocksteady. He hesitated a moment before replying. “Joey Riggs.”

Romano flashed him a grin. “Now that we’re all acquainted, maybe you’d reconsider? It’s good money for only a few hours of work.”

Joey shook his head. “Sorry, ain’t interested.” He took a large bite of his apple.

Fitch frowned, looking kind of hurt. “Why not?”

Romano tapped the paper. “The little misses got you by the ear, eh?”

“I ain’t married.” Joey replied roughly.

“No?” Romano pointed at the paper again. “What’s this?”

“That’s from my sister.” Joey mumbled around another bite.

“Sister?” Daniels snapped his fingers. “Now I know where I saw ya before. You was here yesterday with that hot blonde. Wait! She’s your sister?” He grinned. “Mind hookin’ a guy up!”

Joey scowled now. “She’s….attached.” Then his gaze sharpened to a glare. Now, he recognized the guy. He’d been one of the men hitting on Sams. “And I’d suggest you stay away from her.”

Daniels put up his hands. “Hey, man, I didn’t know.”

Rocksteady worked his jaw fighting back the instinct to clobber the guy on the spot. Instead he stood up, gathered his bits of trash and walked towards the door. Romano turned in his chair to watch him. “You sure you don’t want a piece of this? Don’t let Chuck’s bad manners get in the way of makin’ some real money.”

“No.” Rocksteady pushed open the door and returned to his locker to deposit what was left of his lunch. Why couldn’t he get away from that life? He was trying so hard, but it seemed to find him wherever he went. _I ain’t gonna let ‘em get to me. I’m doin’ this for Sams. I promised her._ He closed the locker door with a click and put his hardhat back on. He’d focus on his job. He’d do it better than everyone else. He’d make his own way the right way this time.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

It was nearly seven in the evening when Joey trudged through the sewers to his temporary home. He hated the stink down here. It reminded him too much of his and Sams early days on their own, when dumpster diving had been their only form of survival. As he crossed the threshold of the lair he was reminded that the turtles had built a comfortable life here, below. And within the walls of their home you couldn’t smell the stink from the tunnels beyond. Here it smelled like incense and pizza mainly. Though some rooms smelled more like sweat and leather. That smell didn’t bother him that much, considering he and Bebop had carried some of that same scent when they were still mutants.

He sighed as he flopped on the couch, which was thankfully empty. He rubbed his face while thinking of his old friend. It had been some time since he’d seen Arny. He wondered what he was up to. Had he been trying to straighten out to? Or was he having the time of life, rolling around in boo-koos of bucks and girls. He groaned. That was another thing that ate at him. While he’d been a rhino, not one girl had even looked at him. And yet, his sister was fawning over a turtle. It just didn’t make sense. Sure, he was human now and if he tried could probably get any girl he wanted. He wasn’t bad looking for a guy in his late twenties. The problem was, what would he do with a girl right now? He’d just barely got a job. He had nowhere to live. And dragging any normal girl into the sewers was simply not going to happen.

He rubbed his face again, feeling the deep tiredness in his body.

“Hey!” He peeked over the tops of his fingers to see Sams. She smiled brightly at him. “How was your first day?”

He let out another groan. “Why do people do this stuff to themselves?”

She frowned. “That bad, huh?”

He let his hands fall away from his face. “Nah, just long, boring, and tiring.”

Sams looked away with tinge of guilt. Once again, he was doing this for her.

Joey stood, lifting her chin to look at him. “It’s alright, Cupcake. I just gotta get used to it.”

“Hey, you’re back kinda late dude.” Mikey came from the kitchen, where Joey could now hear the others talking.

“Just got off.” Joey sat heavily on the couch.

“Well, we saved you some grub.” Mikey told him.

Sams eyed her brother. He was covered in a layer of dirt and grime. “Why don’t you go clean up, and I’ll warm it up for you.”

Joey looked down at himself and frowned. “You know I only got two changes of clothes. And the other ones are dirty.”

“I hate to break it to you, bud. But those are dirty too.” Mikey pointed out.

Rocksteady glared, but Sams spoke before he could. “It’s alright. Leo and I went to the thrift store. I got you some more clothes.”

He frowned again. “With what money?”

Sams blushed and Mikey squirmed. “I think I hear Master Splinter calling me. Coming, Sensei.” He hurried out of the room.

Joey’s frown deepened. “Where’d you get you the money, Sams?”

She waved a dismissive hand and gave a nervous chuckle. “It doesn’t matter. You can’t go to work wearing the same clothes every day.”

Joey glared. He had a sneaking suspicion she’d borrowed it from their hosts. Which he’d already made clear, he didn’t like. He didn’t want to owe them nothing when they finally got on their feet again. “Sams…” He warned. She glanced towards the kitchen and he came off the couch again, this time he was angry though. “I told you not to do that!”

“Shh!” She hissed, waving her hands. “Keep your voice down.”

He stomped closer to her. She didn’t move or back down. He was reminded just how much spirit his little sister had, when she held his gaze steadily. “Sams! You listen to me! I don’t want to owe these freaks nothin’!”

She glared, balling her fists at her side. “They’re not freaks!”

“They are! I should know! I used to be one!”

Someone cleared their throat loudly and the two looked up to see the brothers standing in the door of the kitchen. Leo’s gaze was narrowed on Joey, watching his every move. “Is there a problem?” He moved towards Sams and she took a few steps away from her brother to intercept him.

“It’s okay.” She told him, pressing a hand to his plastron. But Leo continued to glare.

Joey held the turtle’s gaze. He opened his mouth to tell him exactly what the problem was, but Sams turned to look at him. Her blue eyes pleaded desperately with him. _How does she do that?_ With one look, she could tear him down or build him up. “No.” He finally said before turning and stomping off into the bathroom.

Leo looked down at Sams. “What was that about?”

She averted her eyes. “Nothing.”

He lifted her chin gently. “Come on, Sams…”

She sighed. “He’s just embarrassed. He’s not used to people helping him out.”

“This is about the clothes, isn’t it?” Leo asked softly. She gave a slow sad nod. He sighed, kissing her brow and tucking her head beneath his chin. She hadn’t wanted to ask for the money and it had been hard for her to do so. But when she had, he understood why. Joey as Rocksteady hadn’t had a reason to change clothes or bother with things that normal humans did. And even in the past few weeks, he’d worn the same pair for several days in a row.  But in order for him to function in the world above, he needed to fit back into human society. That meant fresh clothes every day.

That aside though, he would have given it to her anyways. As a matter of fact, he would give her anything she asked for. All she had to do was say the word. Sams, however, wasn’t the type. Food, shelter, and his love was all she seemed to want or need. She shuddered softly and his arms tightened around her. Change was difficult for everyone.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

In the bathroom, Joey yanked off his clothes and began stuffing them in the washer which also occupied the room. He half slammed the lid and reached for the dial, only to pause. On the dryer beside him were folded four sets of clothes. One set was very familiar, thread-bare and worn. The others, though obviously not new, were rather descent. He reached out and picked up a shirt. It was a button-up with long sleeves that could be rolled up and secured by another button at the elbow. _A workman’s shirt._

He felt his chest contract with guilt. Sams had only meant to look after him. He knew that, but it still hurt his pride that she’d asked Leonardo for money.  _I swear, I’ll pay him back. Joseph Riggs, don’t owe nobody nothin’. And I plan on keepin’ it that way._

Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard Romano’s words again. _“It’s good money for only a few hours of work.”_


	4. Twisted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so TERRIBLY sorry for the extreme delay in this fic. I promise it's got my full attention now. And I'm upgrading this one to Mature rating because of chapter 5. Hehehe! Sams and Leo are too cute!
> 
> A couple of reminders:
> 
> This is a sequel to "The Monster's Sister", a request by DaLadyofSouls. And although this is in the 87 universe, it's set in 1997.
> 
> Here is a quick synopsis of that story: Samantha is Rocksteady's younger sister, whom he hasn't seen in ten years. We get to learn about his past through Sams' eyes. After an attempted assault on Sams and Leo's "rescue", they begin a relationship. But Rocksteady isn't too happy about this when he finds out. In the end a compromise is came to, where Rocksteady -Joey- is returned to being human.

Leo and Sams stopped outside the bookstore. “So, this is the place?” A sign above the shop’s door read _The Muse’s Books_.

Samantha nodded. “Yeah. Do you want to come in and meet my boss? She’s pretty nice.”

Leo frowned. “That’s probably not a good idea. At least, not yet.”

She sighed. “I guess not. I wish people could see you the way I do.”

Leo smiled, cupping her cheek. “The world would be a lot better place, if they did.” He kissed her softly. “I’ll be here to pick you up tonight.”

She smiled at his protectiveness. “Alright.”

He squeezed her hand as she stepped away. “Good luck.”

The door chimed as she stepped inside. The place looked rather empty. “Hello? Katherine?” She walked around the counter and through the open doorway beyond. She found her boss at her desk working on her computer. “Katherine?” The woman finally looked up. “I just wanted to tell you I was here.”

She smiled. “Thank you. Do you know how to work the register?” Sams nodded. “Good. We don’t have much business this early, but it would be helpful if you could keep an eye on the front for now.”

Sams smiled. “Of course, that’s why I’m here.”

“If you need anything or have any questions, I’ll be here.”

Samantha spent the day serving the few customers that came in. She wondered how the place stayed in business with so few patrons. They closed up around six. “That wasn’t too bad for a first day, right?” Katherine smiled at Sams as she put the key in the door.

Sams chuckled. “No, that wasn’t bad at all. Compared to my last job it was a breeze.”

Katherine chuckled as well. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Then she frowned, looking past her companion at a man approaching.

Sams turned to see what she was looking at. She’d recognize that trench coat and hat anywhere. She smiled, glancing back at her boss. “That’s my boyfriend, Leo.”

Katherine’s eyes lit up and she grinned. “He came to pick you up. That’s so sweet.”

The young blonde smiled brightly. “Yeah, that’s my Leo. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Goodnight, Samantha.” Katherine told her before turning and heading the opposite way up the sidewalk.

Sams met Leo as he approached. He smiled down at her. “How was it?”

She hugged him. “Actually, really good.”

Leo slipped his arm around her as they headed for home. “Good, I’m glad.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Joey strolled across the top of the shipping containers checking for the ID on his clipboard. This was his third day on the job and he was getting a little more comfortable with what was expected of him. Once he located his container, he’d unload it into it’s designated section of the large warehouse. Mr. Wilson seemed to think he was doing pretty good, or at least he hadn’t jumped all over him yet. That was a real change from working under Shredder, who had a temper tantrum every few hours it seemed.

_After tomorrow I’ll have three days off_. He rubbed a spot on his shoulder. He’d need it to recover from this week.

As he stepped over to another set of containers near the end of the line, he heard voices coming from below him. Romano’s voice carried up to him. “How much ya want?”

“Twenty from this one, but I’ll need fifty from the next one.” Joey frowned. For some reason that second voice sounded familiar.

“Fifty! Man, I don’t know. Twenty won’t be noticed but fifty might.” Romano said.

“If you can’t handle it, I can find someone else that can.”

There was a pause. “Ya gonna pay extra. That’s more chance of us gettin’ caught.”

“You do good on this one, sure I’ll add a little extra next time.”

Joey ventured to step closer, trying to be quiet. Why did the second voice send a chill up his spine? Getting down low, he moved to where he could just see over the edge of the container. He swallowed both the gasp and the growl that wanted to escape him.

“Deal. Meet ya at the spot tomorrow after that shipment comes in.” Romano shook the hand of Joey’s father, Raymond Riggs.

Rocksteady sat absolutely still as the two went their separate ways. _Now, I definitely don’t want no part in it._ He couldn’t help the smirk though. His father still looked like he’d gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson. Most of the bruises their father had left on Sams had cleared up by now. Which Joey was very glad of. He hated seeing her like that. Standing, he started to locate his container again. He’d have to be cautious if his father was lurking around there. It wasn’t that he was scared of him, more like he didn’t want anything to do with him. He also worried that if they did come face to face, he may not be able to hold back without Sams nearby. Joey shrugged as he found his container and climbed down. _But what Sams don’t know won’t hurt her either._

Later that evening when Rocksteady made it back to the lair, he found everyone watching a movie. He frowned at the group occupying the couch and the one arm chair. Samantha was curled against Leo, mostly asleep, while he ran his fingers through her soft curls. Beside them on the couch was Don and Raph was in the chair. Mikey as usual was laying on the floor with a pillow tucked under him. This left Joey with nowhere to sit. He sighed, rubbing his brow.

“Hey, dude. We left you some grub on the stove.” Mikey was the first to spot him.

Joey glanced at him. “Thanks.”

He started to walk off, but Leo spoke. “You’re welcome to watch the movie with us. It’s only been on a few minutes.”

“No thanks. There’s only so many b-rated monster movies I can take.”

“Actually, this one’s a detective movie.” Donnie advised him.

He raised a blonde brow. “I might then.” It wasn’t like he had anything else to do. His choices were rather limited at the moment. He headed on into the kitchen to return a few minutes later with one of the chairs and his plate of food.

Raphael glanced at him, but didn’t say anything. Out of the four brothers, he was the one that still gave Rocksteady trouble. The others were cordial, though still a bit standoffish. But after such a long time as enemies that was kind of expected. It would take them all time to put the past permanently behind them. For now, they would simply try to get along for Samantha’s sake.

Rocksteady had a hard time following the movie, so instead he focused on his plate and left to shower. When he emerged, he found the movie had ended and everyone was moving off to bed. This meant he could go to bed as well. Leo and Sams were the only ones left as he came around to sit on the end of the couch. He looked at his little sister, who had a contented smile even in her sleep. “How’d it go?”

“She said it went well.” Leo let out a small chuckle. “Actually from her description it sounded boring.”

Joey couldn’t help the small smile. “Boring is good.”

Leo smiled as well. “You know, I think I’m going to have to agree with you on that.” He slipped his arm under Sams’ legs, standing up and cradling her to his chest. “Goodnight, Joey.”

He nodded. “’Night.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

“I don’t know what happened to them, Mr. Wilson! I swear! I unloaded what was there!” The young man protested.

Mr. Wilson frowned. “Then why am I gettin’ calls saying the shipment was short fifty laptops?”

“I don’t know! I did what I was supposed to do! I counted the pallets when I pulled them out. There was four full ones and one half.”

Mr. Wilson shook his head. “Manifest I got says there were five full pallets. So, that means somewhere between that container which was sealed and the warehouse half a pallet went missin’. And you were the one responsible for the unload.”

The young man’s face dropped. “Please, Frank. You know me. I’d never do nothin’ like that.”

Mr. Wilson shook his head again. “Sorry, kid, but you’re fired. I can’t have a liability like you around.”

“I got a baby comin’. Can’t you cut me a break this time. If it I did accidently lose some, I’ll make sure it never happens again!”

Frank sighed. “I’m sorry, Scott. The higher-ups made the decision. Clean out your locker. Ya can pick up your last check next week.”

Rocksteady watched the young man’s head drop and him shuffle off towards the lockers. The scene left a bad taste in his mouth. Yeah, he might have grown up stealing and snatching stuff, but he’d never made an effort to make it look like somebody else’s fault. He’d taken his licks when they were due. Romano was apparently covering his tracks and letting the kid take the fall for it. He struggled for a moment on what to do. He wanted to say something, but he wasn’t a snitch either.

He approached the foreman. As he did Fitch locked eyes with him. “Uh, Mr. Wilson?” The older man turned towards him. “I saw Scott bring in that load yesterday. There was only four and a half.”

The older man sighed. “I appreciate you sayin’ that, kid. But just ‘cause you saw him bring in four and a half, don’t mean he didn’t take some before you saw him.” He patted Joey on the shoulder and lowered his voice. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he gets on somewhere else.”

That made Rocksteady feel only slightly better. The foreman walked away and Fitch smirked. Joey clenched his fist, wondering if he could still keep his job if he knocked that smug look off the guy’s face. _This do-gooder stuff is hard!_ He gave Fitch a dirty look and walked off.

Later that evening when Joey left headed for his temporary home, a large figure stepped out from behind one of the containers. Rocksteady had never been a push-over even in human form, so when the guy charged him, he was ready. He ducked the first blow and landed one to the guy’s midsection. There was a grunt as the attacker stumbled back. Joey swung a meaty fist at the man’s head, which to his surprise was caught. Then the man threw a fist at him. Not to be outdone, Rocksteady caught his attacker’s fist as well. Now both standing still and very close, they both froze.

“Joseph?”

Rocksteady glared at his father in the darkness. “Yeah.”

Raymond’s mouth hung open. “How did this happen? The last time I saw ya, you were a…whatever you were.”

“I was a rhino. And I got changed back, thanks to Sams.”

Raymond smiled. “Well, that’s a relief.” He looked him up and down. “You’re all grown up.” He rubbed his ribs. “And you’ve got a pretty good right hook there, son.”

Joey scowled and jabbed a finger at him. “You lost the right to call me that a long time ago! I ain’t your son! After what you did to us, I should break your neck right here!”

Raymond put up his hands. His son was now even bigger than he was. “So, I might have roughed ya up a bit. Look at ya. It made ya stronger and tougher.”

“You’re right, I am stronger. But that had nothin’ to do with you.” Joey pushed past him as if to walk off.

“Okay, maybe you’re right. Maybe it was a little too much for ya.” Raymond watched as Joey stopped a few paces away.

“I ain’t lookin’ for no apology from you. Not that I’d accept one in any case. Not after what you did to Sams a few weeks ago.”

Raymond frowned. “I shouldn’t have done that. And you got all right to be mad at me ‘bout it. Look, I came here tonight because one of my guys said that he thought you were gonna say somethin’ ‘bout his and my little arrangement. But I didn’t know it was you. He didn’t give me a name.”

Joey glanced back over his shoulder. “Yeah, I know ‘bout your little arrangement. But I ain’t a snitch. I didn’t say nothin’. I was just tryin’ to keep that poor kid’s job.”

“Since ya know ‘bout it, why don’t ya join up? I bet with the two of us we could make three times what I get now.”

Rocksteady snorted, finally turning back to look at his father. “Are you seriously askin’ me to come work with ya? Man, I thought I was dumb.”

Raymond frowned, but he had another card to pull. “What about Sams?” His son’s eyes flared. He’d always been protective of his little sister.

“Are you threatenin’ her! ‘Cause if you are I’m gonna-“

“No. But ya wanna take care of her, right? Think about it. You make some runs with me and we’ll be rollin’ in the money. You could set her up real nice. Maybe even buy her a place in the burbs. I’m rackin’ in twenty grand every other week. And if we did this together, we could be gettin’ forty or fifty!”

Joey paused. If he joined up and took up where he’d left off, he could get Sams out of the city or get her into one those fancy condos. He could get her out of the sewer and away from those turtles. Plus, she’d never know he was back in the racket. He could say he was still workin’. It was very tempting. “If, and I mean if, I decided to help ya, you’d have to swear you’ll never go anywhere near her ever again for the rest of your life.”

Raymond gave a small nod. “Fair enough. I get it. You don’t trust me around her. I can stay away, that’s not a problem. Does that mean we’re partners?”

Joey glared. “No. I gotta think on it. You’re right when you say I don’t trust ya. But it’s not just around her. I don’t trust ya period.”

“I gotta prove myself. Is that it? Alright, ya think on it. I’ll tell my guys to back off ya. But don’t go tellin’ nobody ‘bout what ya know. Right now, you’re my problem. You say somethin’ and you become my bosses problem. And ya don’t want that.”

Joey let out another snort. “Yeah, I got it.” He turned to leave, but his father spoke again.

“We’d make a great team, son.” Raymond grew a wicked smile as his son walked away. He hadn’t said no, which meant he might be useful after all.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Samantha frowned as she watched Joey storm through the living room and into the dojo without saying a word. Barely a minute later the punching bag was receiving a pounding. She frowned and started to get up, but Leo caught her hand. “Let me see what’s wrong first?” He still didn’t fully trust Rocksteady around Sams, particularly when he was angry.

Her frown intensified. “I don’t know. He may not talk to you.”

Leo stood. “I think he will.” Raph watched his brother head for the dojo. He waited a minute and then followed. If Rocksteady tried anything, he wanted to be nearby.

In the dojo, Joey slammed one fist into the punching bag after another. His mind was a jumble of information and most of it he was having a hard time with. The worst of it being encountering his father. A part of him still wanted to rip the guy’s guts out. But Sams had asked him not to, so he’d had to listen to that crap the guy was spilling out his mouth. He didn’t believe ninety percent of what he said. But if he could really make some good money and get his sister to some place nice, it might be worth dealing with him.

Leo stepped through the door behind him. “What’s going on?”

Joey hit the bag again. “Nothin’.”

“Sure doesn’t seem like nothing. Did something happen?”

Joey clenched his teeth, laying another blow into the bag. “No.”

“Then that bag must have done something to you.” Leo frowned when Joey didn’t turn to look at him. “You’re making Sams worry. Tell me what it is. Maybe we can help.”

Rocksteady huffed, catching the bag. He was no strategist, even simple tasks could be hard for him at times. But Leonardo, he knew understood things far better than him. If nothing else he should tell him about their father and that he may still be in the picture. After all, he was the one out the most with his sister.

Leo had stood there waiting for several minutes and had just decided he wasn’t going to get an answer when Joey turned to look at him. “Promise me ya won’t tell Sams.”

Leo frowned. “I don’t like keeping secrets, especially not from her.”

“You’re gonna want to, if I tell ya.” Joey waited a few moments, but the turtle didn’t leave. Taking that as his answer, he continued. “I saw our dad.”

Leo’s eyes widened. “What!”

“I ran into ‘im down at the docks.” Joey snorted. “He even tried to apologize to me for beatin’ on us as kids. Not that I believed ‘im.” He looked towards the door. “I don’t want her worrin’ ‘bout this. As long as he leaves her alone, I don’t care if he tries to mess with my head. He just better not push me too far.”

Leo gave a slow nod, understanding. “I’ll keep an eye out for him. I’ll make sure nothing happens to her.”

Joey sighed. “Yeah, I know ya will.” At least that much he knew for certain. The problem was he didn’t know what to do about the rest of what their father had told him.


	5. Tender Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains sexual content.

Samantha giggled. “Where are you taking me?”

Leo smiled, holding her hand tight as he pulled her along the sewer tunnels. “You’ll see.” They came to a door that looked much like the one they had at the lair. Leo pushed it open. The space beyond was dry, though a bit dusty. “I just thought of this place the other day. Our friend Mondo Gecko used to live here, but he moved out a long time ago.”

The only furniture in the place were an old couch and a TV, which she wasn’t sure even worked from the looks of it. “It’s, um, quant.” She looked up at Leo questioningly. She wasn’t sure what they were doing there.

He chuckled at her expression as he reached out to cup her cheek. “The lair sometimes can feel a bit cramped. I know it’s not much, but I thought if we needed some space…”

She blushed, turning her head to kiss his palm. “Oh, I see. In that case, it’s wonderful.” She slipped her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer, kissing her deeply. She panted as they finally broke for air. “I think I’m going to like this place.”

He chuckled, pulling her gently towards the couch. “Yeah, me too.”

He’d come a few days earlier to check the place out. Surprisingly the old wiring still worked and the lights came on just fine. He’d dusted off the couch and even tried the TV set. Unfortunately after sitting unused in a damp sewer for several years it had corroded beyond use. He’d thought of asking Donnie to fix it. But if he did, he’d be questioned why. So, he’d opted not to. It wasn’t likely to be their primary form of entertainment here anyways.

He sat and tugged at her hand. She slipped into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck again. His eyes glowed as he ran his hand through her hair. “I’ve been thinking lately how natural it’s been having you here with me. I can barely remember what it felt like not to have you with me.” He frowned, playing with one golden curl. Taking a deep breath, he asked the question that had been pressing on his heart and mind. “Will you stay when he leaves?”

She frowned, one arm slipping from his neck. Looking away, she felt the same ache return to her. Leo noted she wore the same expression he’d found her wearing several days ago. “I want to. I really, really do.” She let out a shuddering breath before meeting his eyes. “I just don’t know how to tell him that.”

He sucked in a sharp breath at the heartache in her blue eyes. Pulling her against him, he held her tightly. “We’ll figure it out, Sweetheart. If you want to stay, then you’re going to stay.”

She sighed, relishing the strength in his arms and the conviction in his voice. “I just don’t want to hurt him. He’s been doing so well lately. And he’s doing it all for me. I’m afraid of what will happen when I tell him I want to stay with you.”

A bubble of warmth flowed through him to know she wanted to stay with him. But at the same time, he could understand her dilemma. “That’s what you were thinking about the other day.”

“Yes.” She said softly as she began to run her fingers along the edge of his plastron. “He said something about when ‘we’ get out on our own again. I didn’t know what to say, so I just didn’t say anything at all.”

Her fingers were causing a very pleasant tingle through his body. It bolstered his confidence. _Well, here goes nothing._ “Maybe if you had a more solid reason to stay, he’d be more open to it.”

She leaned back with a curious expression. “What do you mean more solid?”

He hadn’t planned on doing this so soon, but he doubted he’d get a better opportunity. He reached into his belt and pulled something out. Opening his palm he revealed two plain gold rings. “I mean this.”

Samantha gasped, tears welling in her eyes. “Oh, Leo…”

“I meant what I said. There is no place that I’d rather be than at your side. I’m yours as long as you’ll have me.”

Her tears spilled over. “And I meant what I said. I want to be with you forever.” She kissed him warmly. He gently swept away the tears. Taking one of the rings, he slipped it on her finger. He smiled and kissed her cheek as she gazed at the symbol of their love – of their promise. She took the other one from his hand. “How are we going to do this one? There’s no way it’ll fit.”

“How about this?” He handed her a long silver chain. She smiled as she slipped the ring on it, then turned to clasp the chain behind his neck. It was long enough that the ring could be easily tucked behind his plastron.

Sams rested her head on his shoulder, drawing in a deep breath filled with his scent. Her fingers played with the chain. “What did Splinter say about this?”

His arms tightened around her. “I didn’t ask him. But I know he’d have no objections. He’s very fond of you.”

She shifted in his lap, until she was straddling his hips and looking him in the eyes. “So, we’re going to keep this quiet for a while?”

He frowned a little. “Yes. I don’t like keeping secrets. But I think that’s best for now, until we’re sure Joey will be able to make it on his own without you.”

“I hope that’s soon.”

“So do I. If I had it my way, I’d be shouting it from the rooftops.”

She giggled. “Oh? What would you say?”

He smiled at her tease. “I’d say, can you believe this beautiful perfect woman wants to be with me? Can you believe she agreed to be my wife – to be with me forever?”

She grinned. “And I’d say, I would be crazy _not_ to want to be with such a strong, handsome, wonderful, loving person like you. Then I’d say, I’m proud to be the wife of Leonardo Hamato.”

His eyes glowed and he pulled her to him, kissing her with passion. Fire raced through their bodies. “You’re incredible, you know that? I love you so much.”

She grinned mischievously. “I love you more.”

He raised an eye-ridge. “That sounds like a challenge and you know I never back down from a challenge.”

She pressed her body tight against his. “I certainly hope not.”

This was a challenge he was more than willing to take on. He captured her lips, a rumble beginning deep in his chest. He slipped his hand under her shirt to squeeze one soft mound. Samantha broke their kiss with a gasp. She moaned softly as his mouth traveled down her neck to her shoulder. Everywhere his skin touched hers it felt like electricity, tingling her to her core. She wanted more of it. Sitting back, she pulled her t-shirt off, tossing it to the floor.

Leo’s pulse raced uncontrollably as she pulled off her shirt, then unclasped the lacey white bra. She whispered his name as she took his hand and placed it back on her breast. He felt his shell tighten and their lips crashed together again. The cool sewer chamber suddenly felt hot. He released her lips to drag his along her porcelain skin. She trembled when took her nipple in his mouth, his tongue working magic. He rolled the other nipple between his thumb and finger. She arched her back, her hands on his head and shoulders. He switched breast and she couldn’t resist the urge to rock her hips against his.

It was his turn to gasp. He wasn’t going to be able to contain himself much longer. Her sixth sense seemed to kick in and she pulled away to remove the rest of her clothing. Leo’s breathing was harsh as he watched the display in front of him. As her clothes came off so did his pads and belt. He stood beside her in only his mask. She gently tugged it off and laid it on the TV. “That’s better.” Her voice was filled with desire as she reached for him.

“You are so beautiful.” He ran his hands up and down her naked body. He committed every curve and muscle to memory. She was a goddess worthy of being worshiped. “Sams…” She hummed where she was running her soft lips on the sensitive skin near his plastron. “I’m not human, remember?”

She lifted her head and there was a twinkle in her eye. “You don’t say. I wonder how I missed that.”

He chuckled softly, shivering as her fingers ran down his muscular biceps. “What I’m trying to say is I’m different.” She hummed again, her mouth working his throat. Fighting to keep his senses, he took her shoulders and pulled her out so he could see her face. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

She took his face in her hands. “I trust you, Leo. I trust you with my life. I trust you with my heart. And I trust you with my body.”

Her words caused his body to relax and his tail to slide from his shell. Samantha either didn’t notice or didn’t comment. Their lips and tongues were dancing again, full of heat and fervor. She finally paused when she felt his manhood against her stomach. Watching his face, she slowly wrapped her fingers around his shaft. He took in a sharp breath, his eyes closing. As she ran her hand up and down him, she became a little nervous. He was so big! Her desire quickly outweighed her nervousness as he began to churr louder. The noise was soothing and thrilling all at the same time.

He grasped her wrist, eyes open now. Fire burned in his caramel orbs. He turned her and laid her back on the sofa. She opened her arms and he slipped into them. For a moment they laid completely still, feeling the other’s body pressed against their own in every possible place. Propping himself up on one arm, he gazed into her eyes as his hand slid down between her legs. He could smell her arousal already, so he wasn’t surprised to find her wet with anticipation.  He rubbed against her womanhood for a moment and she lifted her hips, her eyes closing and her breath speeding up. She was gorgeous laying there like a fallen angel with her blonde curls spread out all around them.

He pressed a finger inside and she moaned, reaching up to grab his shoulders. When she opened her eyes, they had gone from bright blue to dark. Need was written across her face. “Leo…”

He shook his head a little with a smirk. “Not yet, Sweetheart.” Feeling that she’d loosened up to his one digit, he pressed in a second. As he moved them in and out of her warmth, her expression changed. “Leonardo!” She thrust her hips into his hand and he felt her walls tighten around his large fingers. He was satisfied now that she was ready. Her entrance was loose and slick. He shifted, positioning himself between her legs. She watched him with hooded eyes as he began to slowly enter her. He paused when he saw a flicker of pain cross her face.

“Am I hurting you?”

She cupped his face, leaning up just a bit to kiss him. “Just give me a few seconds.” He obeyed waiting until he felt her relax again and then slid more of his length into her. The process was repeated until at last, he was buried to the hilt. He groaned softly. It was an incredible sensation, one he’d thought he’d never have.

Samantha squirmed, needing him to move. “Leo, please.” She felt like he was filling her so completely. He was magnificent and he hadn’t even started yet. And then he did, and it felt like the world was exploding around her. His movements were slow and steady at first, slowly increasing in speed. He varied between shallow and deep thrusts, until she grabbed his shoulders, arched her back and cried his name. Fireworks blazed across her vision as her insides grabbed him and squeezed with incredible force. He stayed still as she came, her walls pulling on his member. He kissed her softly as she finally sagged beneath him, completely spent.

He began to move again and her insides responded, twitching with every thrust. Finally he buried himself as deep as he could as he exploded into his wife. He groaned loudly, his churr reaching it’s height. Samantha gasped as her walls again took hold of him, milking him of every drop. They were both panting and sweating, grabbing for one another as their mouths sought each other. He hovered over her, the majority of his weight on his arms. “Sams,” he whispered in between her kisses, “you are amazing.”

“If that’s true, then you are a hundred times more amazing.”

He chuckled. “I guess that means I won your challenge.”

She grinned. “This time.”

He dipped his head to nip her neck with just enough pressure to leave a mark, then tenderly kiss it. “I like the sound of that.” She shivered as he withdrew from her. Then he turned on the couch, tucking her between him and the back, sheltering her from the open air of the room. He’d have to remember to bring some blankets here when he had a chance. He lifted her left hand to run his finger across the ring, admiring how well it seemed to fit her, like it had been made for her. It hadn’t. He’d spotted them at a second hand shop and bought them on a whim not long after she and her brother had moved in. But perhaps it hadn’t been coincidence after all. He smiled. Maybe he was meant to find them, for this very moment. “I love you.”

She placed a kiss on his chest, watching him admire the ring on her hand, slowly threading his fingers with hers. “I love you too.” Her heart was warm and her body hummed with echoes of pleasure. Tucking herself into his powerful arms, she tumbled into blissful sleep.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Leo swept her golden curls from her face, admiring its peaceful beauty. Oh, how he hated to wake her. If only they could stay here, wrapped in each other’s arms, secluded from the world. But that was not reality and sadly reality was encroaching on them. “Come on, Sweetheart. We need to get back. It’s getting late.”

Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed at her turtle laying beside her. He continued to amaze her at every turn. He’d surprised her to say the least with his sudden proposal. They’d only been together a few months. But there was no denying that she would never want to be with anyone else. Her heart was completely his and it felt like it had always been. The truth was she’d never been interested in boys the way they’d always been interested in her. Of course, she’d had the random crush as a young teen. Not that any of those boys ever had a chance with Joey around.

But none of them ever made her feel the way she felt when she was with Leonardo. He was so completely different in all the ways that mattered. His soul spoke to hers in a way no one else’s ever had. And that is why she had not hesitated to give over herself so thoroughly to him. She traced a finger along his jaw. He had no idea just how perfect he was. “I’d rather stay here.”

He smiled. “I know. I would too, but they’ll start looking for us soon.” He sat up, pulling her gently with him. “Come on, you’re shivering.”

She sighed as she turned to pick up her pile of clothes and begin to dress. He stood and began pulling his gear back on. Once she was done, she sat staring at the ring on her left hand. He frowned sitting next to her. “What’s wrong?”

She frowned as well, pulling the ring off and putting it on her right. “I’d better wear it here for now.”

He sighed. “Yeah, but hopefully it won’t have to be for long.”

She reached out to run her fingers along his chain and ring. “It’s alright. We’ll know what it means. And it doesn’t change how I feel - how much I love you.”

He smiled, touching the ring around his neck. “I know. It doesn’t change my love for you either having to hide this one.” He kissed her brow. Standing up, he took her hand. They made sure to turn off the lights and close the door as they left. When they neared the lair, he paused to tuck the ring under his plastron. Then he slipped his arm around her as they entered their home.

Inside, Mikey and Rocksteady were watching April on the news. Joey looked up. “That was a pretty long walk.”

Sams smiled. “Yeah, we lost track of time.”

Raphael came from the other room. “Hey, there you are.” He approached them, but when he reached them he stopped. He raised an eye-ridge and glanced at Joey, who was watching the TV again. “I was wonderin’ if you wanted to spar with me.”

Leo looked down at Sams. “That okay? I know you wanted to spend the day together.”

She smiled, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. “We did. I need to take a shower anyways. I have to go to work in the morning.”

“Pizza will be ready in a bit, dudette.” Mikey chimed in.

She flashed a smile at him. “I’ll make it fast then.” Leo squeezed her hand as she stepped away, headed for the bedroom area to get some clothes.

Raph shot the back of Rocksteady’s head another look, before turning and heading for the dojo. Leo followed him. As soon as they entered, Raph spun on him, pushing him against the wall. He glanced through the doorway before glaring at his brother. “Are you insane!” He hissed. “If he finds out what you two were doing, human or not, he’ll rip your arms off!”

Leo frowned, eyeing his brother. He pushed him back out of his personal space. “Exactly what do you think we were doing?”

Raph’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “Leonardo, you smell like it. _She_ smells like it! If he wasn’t human, he would have smelled you as soon as you entered the lair.” He shot another look through the door. “Splinter is gonna know right away.”

Leo’s eyes widened and his cheeks burned. He hadn’t thought of that. Sure, he knew they had a more sensitive sense of smell, but he hadn’t thought his brothers would pick up on it so fast. He frowned. “You can’t say anything, Raphael. We weren’t going to tell anyone for a while.”

Raph’s eyes were large. “Are you kiddin’! I’d be plannin’ your funeral if I said somethin’! You’re just lucky it was me and not Michelangelo that caught on. He’d have spilled the beans right there.”

“I’ll make sure to shower as soon as Sams gets out. Don’t say anything though. She’s worried about upsetting Joey.”

Raph gave him an incredulous look. “I won’t say anything, but you need to tell me what’s goin’ on.” He checked outside the door again to be sure they were still alone.

Leo sighed, pulling the chain up to reveal the ring. “She’s going to be staying – permanently.”

Raph frowned. “You mean, you two tied the knot?” Leo nodded. His frown intensified. “How’d you do that?”

“The only way that really matters. We said our vows to each other.” Leo’s eyes shined with conviction. “She _is_ my wife.”

Well, it wasn’t like they could go topside and get legally married or anything. Raph had to admit his brother was right. The only ones that really mattered in their arrangement were the two of them. He gave a nod. “Okay.” Then he smirked. “And way to go, bro.”

Leo blushed. “Raphael!”

Raph chuckled. “Want to get a little work out in, before you go take that shower?”

Leo smiled. “Sure.”

As soon as Sams emerged from the bathroom, Leo hurried in. In less than five minutes he was out again as they settled around the table for dinner. He slid into the seat beside Sams. She smiled as their eyes met and he squeezed her hand. Raph shot the couple a look, but no one noticed. Don and Mikey were discussing a video game, and Splinter was still preparing his own meal of sushi. The only other one that was paying them any attention was Joey.

He frowned. “What’s that?”

Sams looked at him. “What’s what?”

“That?” He pointed at her neck.

She’d forgotten about the little bite. She didn’t even feel it. Lifting a hand to her neck, she frowned. Beside her, Leo shifted, his hand tightening on hers. She blushed. “Uh, well…” Their conversation had drawn the others’ attention. Her blush darkened at her sudden audience. She glanced at Leo. Thinking quickly she provided a plausible answer. “It’s a hickey.”

Rocksteady frowned. He glanced at Leo, who was suddenly tense. “I figured you two weren’t walkin’ the whole time.”

She gave a small nervous chuckle. “Uh, yeah, you found us out.”

Her brother pointed a large finger at Leo. “Don’t be leavin’ marks on my sister.”

“It was an accident. It won’t happen again.” Leo provided.

Joey snorted. “It better not. And you two don’t be makin’ out in front of me either.”

Leo relaxed. “We weren’t planning on it.”

The subject shifted, the mark was seemingly forgotten. Raph caught Leo by himself later. He glared. “That was no hickey. You marked her. Are you tryin’ to get caught?”

Leo looked around. “Keep it down. No, of course not. It was just…instinct.”

Raph glanced over his shoulder towards the living room. “Well, you better keep those instincts in check or he’s gonna find out a lot sooner than ya want.”

Mikey walked into the bedroom area. “Hickey, right.” He winked at his brother as he stepped into his alcove. Leo rolled his eyes.

A moment later Donnie arrived. He couldn’t suppress the small smile. “That’s an odd shape for a hickey.” He chuckled as he climbed into his bed.

This time Leo groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Come on, guys. Give me a break here.” All three of his brothers snickered. They quieted as Sams entered the room in her pajamas. Sighing, Leo stepped up into his alcove. _I suppose it’s our alcove now._ He smiled at the thought. Samantha climbed into the bed and looked up at him. His smile broadened as he laid down beside her. She let out a contented sigh when he wrapped his arms around her. He ran a large finger down her neck and shoulder along his mark. “Does it hurt?” He asked softly.

“No, I’d actually forgotten about it until Joey said something.” She replied in the same quiet tone.

He let out a relieved breath. “I don’t ever want to hurt you, Sams.”

“I promise, you didn’t.” She assured him, wrapping her arms around him.

He placed a kiss on her brow and let out a contented sigh of his own. It had been a rather eventful day, one he wouldn’t mind repeating over and over and over again. His body was so relaxed now. Far more relaxed than he could remember it ever being in recent years. With his wife’s body held close, exhaustion took over and he fell quickly into the warm embrace of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that didn't feel rushed. But considering Leo and Sams whirlwind relationship, it was kinda fitting.


	6. Near Lapse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get complicated for our poor Rocksteady.

Sams frowned as she watched the last customer leave. It was nearly six and time to close, and she’d sold only four books that day. And they probably didn’t add up to a hundred bucks. It might not have struck her as odd, if it had only been like that this one day. But it had been that way since she’d started working there three weeks ago. She didn’t understand how the place stayed afloat with such low income. Or, how Katherine could afford help. But her boss didn’t seemed concerned about it in the least.

That was something else that was rather odd. Katherine was there every day, but she rarely left the office. And sometimes she’d even tell Sams to go on home while she stayed late. Sams felt a bit uncomfortable leaving the slightly older girl there all alone late at night. That too was odd. Katherine was barely two years older than her. How had she managed to start a business on her own so young? Sams wanted to ask her boss all these questions, but she also didn’t want to seem rude.

Stepping to the open office doorway, she tapped on the frame. Katherine looked up and smiled. “You can go on, Sams. I need to stay late. Could you lock the front for me?”

“Sure.” Sams frowned again. “Say, do you need any help this weekend?”

Katherine chuckled. “I’d thought you’d figured out by now. The store’s not open to the public on the weekends.”

“Oh.” Sams brow bunched and she walked forward to stand next to the desk, which was always paperless. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”

Katherine’s smile was patient. “Of course.”

“How do you keep the place open with so little business?”

Her smile never wavered. “This place isn’t my primary source of income.” She pointed at the computer. “I’m a contractor for the government.”

“Contractor? What do you do for them?”

“Oh, a bit of this and a bit of that. I design software, do some programing and coding, and sometimes they put me on special projects with their scientist. I’m basically an extra brain with hands for them.”

Samantha was confused now. “Why have the bookstore then?”

There was a sparkle in her eye. “Do you really want to know?” Sams nodded. “Then come with me.” Katherine pushed back from the desk and went to a door on the other side of the room. Sams had assumed it was a closet for office supplies, but it was far from that. Katherine flipped on the lights and the younger girl gasped. There was a good sized room with a few computers and surrounded on all four walls by white boards. The boards were scrawled in formulas and numbers that made absolutely no sense to her. In one corner there was a table piled with gadgets and gizmos, Sams was certain Donatello would love to get his hands on. In another corner was a small chemistry set and microscope with a computer attached to it.

Sams felt even more confused than she had before. “I don’t understand. What is this?”

“I tutor gifted, but underprivileged, children. I want to give them the opportunities I was never given. I want to give them a safe place to explore their talents to their full potentials, a place where they can be encouraged and feel like they belong. So, on the weekends I close up shop and they meet me here. I let them use whatever books they want from the store. It’s kind of like their own personal library. I keep a very extensive science and engineering section just for them.” Katherine sighed. “I don’t have the funds to make it large scale. Not that I’m certain I could even do that on my own. But I can help those few special ones. Right now I have three students. But I have people that keep an eye out for me for more.”

Samantha shook her blonde head, her mouth hanging open. “Wow, that’s really incredible. And you do all this alone?”

Katherine shrugged, her smile a little sad. “I don’t really have a life outside of here. No family or close friends, so I have plenty of time on my hands. And these kids really need me. Some of them come from terrible situations.”

Sams turned to look at her. “Well, you have a friend in me. If you ever need help or even if you just want to talk, I’ll be here for you.”

Katherine hugged her. “Thank you, Sams. That means a lot to me.” She stepped back and the two girls smiled at one another. She squeezed Sams’ hand and looked down. She lifted her right hand. “What’s this?” She didn’t remember seeing it before.

“A present from Leo.” Sams smiled at the simple gold ring.

Katherine raised a brow. “Oh?” She grinned, recognizing it for what it truly was – a wedding band. “I’m going to have to meet him sometime. He sounds like really nice.”

Sams giggled. “Oh, he is!”

The front door chimed and both women turned towards it. “Sams?” Leo had waited outside for the past twenty minutes, but concern had finally gotten the better of him and he came in to make sure everything was alright. He let out a sigh of relief when she came through the doorway behind the counter.

She came around to meet him. “I’m sorry. Were you waiting on me?”

He smiled warmly, giving her a tight embrace. “Just for a few minutes.” He looked up to see a young woman watching them. She didn’t seem in the least frightened, just curious.

Samantha turned to smile at her. “Katherine, this is Leonardo. He’s my….um, better half.”

Glancing down at her, Leo chuckled. “Now, that’s an exaggeration, if I ever heard one.”

Katherine stepped around the counter with her own smile. She extended her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Leonardo. I was beginning to wonder if Sams was making up this incredible guy she kept talking about.” She chuckled when he blushed. “I’m glad to see you really exist.”

He gave a small chuckle of his own. “Well, she’s pretty incredible too.”

Kathrine nodded. “Yes, she is. Well, I won’t keep you any longer. Have a good weekend.”

“Goodnight, Katherine.” Sams said as Leo turned them towards the door.

“It was nice to meet you too.” Leo told her as he held the door open. The woman gave him a small nod as she stepped to the door and locked it behind them. He pulled Sams close as they started down the sidewalk. “That was…interesting.” He was rather surprised at the woman’s reaction. Usually there was screaming and running involved when people figured out what he was. But she hadn’t even flinched. He glanced down at his spouse. “Did you tell her about me before now?”

“I didn’t tell her you were a turtle, if that’s what you mean.” She smiled up at him. “I did tell her how wonderful you were though.”

He chuckled again. “Well, that’s up for debate, but it does look like we have a new friend.”

Samantha thought back to what Katherine had said. She didn’t have anyone apparently. It made Sams heart ache for her. Even in her toughest spots in life, she’d always had someone to turn to. “I think it would be wonderful for all us to be friends with her.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Joey yawned as he headed home. Before he could leave the dock though, a shadow stepped out to greet him. By now he’d begun to recognize this particular shadow. Raymond leaned against one of the containers. “Well, what do ya say? Have ya thought ‘bout it?”

He sighed. “Yeah. What exactly are you wantin’ me to do?”

Raymond smirked. “Boy, we ain’t doin’ nothin’, we’re just the muscle to make sure everything runs smooth. Boss tells me what he wants, I make sure Romano gets it.”

“So, we’re the middle man?”

Raymond tilted his head. “Yeah, ‘we’ would make the exchange.” He straightened and gestured at the entire dock. “I got an arrangement with several of these guys up and down here, and some at costumes too. But I’m only one guy, so I can’t be in more than one place at a time. When I have too many at the same time, instead of missin’ out, you can work the other pickup. That’s double money for us.”

Joey frowned. A part of him said no, that he was doing just fine being legit. But another part of him wanted to take care of Sams. For a moment, he stood indecisive. Then he remembered the ugly mark on his sister’s shoulder and the thought of that turtle touching her was incredibly irritating. She deserved better. And he was going to see to it that she got better. “When do ya need me?”

Raymond grinned. “Monday night. Romano’s got some stereos comin’ in. Boss wants forty of ‘em. I’ll be here at ten.”

Rocksteady nodded. “I’m off that day. I can meet ya.” Still feeling torn, he turned to head for the lair.

“Good to have you along, son.”

Joey cringed on the inside. He hated this scum bag, but he needed to get Sams out of that sewer and away from those turtles as soon as possible.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

The next night, Joey arrived at the lair to have Samantha practically tackle him. He chuckled as she hugged him with a big smile. “What’s goin on, Cupcake?”

She grabbed his arm with a giggle. “Come here!” She pulled him around to sit on the couch. “Stay right there. I’ve got something for you.”

Joey glanced at Leo, who was standing in the kitchen door grinning. “What she up to?”

Leo snickered and shook his head. He wasn’t about to ruin this for Sams. “Just so you know though, this was completely her idea.”

Sams came back around the corner with a rather large box. Well, it was large compared to her. Joey watched her as she set it on the couch beside him and then sat at the other end. He raised a brow. “Nothin’s gonna jump outta this thing is it?”

She giggled. “No. Just open it!”

Unable to stop her infections smile, he obeyed. Lifting the lid, he was stunned at what was inside. He pulled out a pair of new leather work boots. “What’s this for?”

She was still smiling. “To celebrate.”

He was at a loss. “Celebrate what?”

She grinned. “You’ve held down your job for a whole month! I wanted to show you how awesome I thought that was!”

He looked down at the boots. They were really nice with steel tipped toes and thick treads. They were even the right size. They had to cost a pretty penny. He frowned. She shouldn’t have spent her money on him.  “Sams, you shouldn’t have done this.”

Her smile faded a little. “But I wanted to. I know how hard you’ve been trying to go straight and I just wanted to show you how proud I was of you.”

Joey felt a ball of guilt begin to fester in his gut. Here she was telling him how proud she was of him for doing so well, and he’d just agreed to being a criminal again. He was breaking his promises to her all over again. Cursing under his breath, he tossed the boots back into the box before storming out of the lair.

He didn’t see the absolutely crushed expression that crossed Sams’ face. Anger burned in Leo’s chest as he watched his wife wipe a tear from her cheek. Growling, he took off after Rocksteady. Behind him, he heard Samantha call frantically after him. For a split-second the desperation in her voice made him want to turn back. But his anger was so much greater. He sprinted down the tunnel, moving much faster than his prey. He caught him only a few blocks from the lair and slung him against the tunnel wall. He growled as he got in the other man’s face. “What is your problem!”

Rocksteady scowled and shoved him away. “Get off me! Just leave me alone!”

Leo’s eyes narrowed. “No! Not until you tell me why you just made her cry!”

Joey paused. “She’s cryin’?”

Leo snorted. “Yeah, you just threw the gift she worked so hard to give you back in her face! For no reason!”

Joey’s face dropped in sorrow. “I…I didn’t… Ah!” He turned around and slammed a fist into the brick wall. “Why does everything have to be so complicated!”

“Complicated?” Leo’s pulse was still racing with anger. “I don’t see anything complicated about your sister giving you a present! All you had to do was say thank you!”

Joey let out a shuddering breath. “I said I’d join ‘im.”

Leo took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “Join who?”

“My dad.”

Leo frowned, taking a few steps forward. “What?”

He didn’t turn to look at him. “He asked me to help him swipe some stuff from the docks. I said yes.”

Leo’s anger was rising again. “What? Why would you do that? We had a deal!”

“I know!” Joey finally turned to face him. “The money was too good to pass up.”

Leo folded his arms, glaring. “Have you already ‘helped’ him?”

Joey leaned against the wall, shoulders slumped and head down. “No, I’m supposed to meet ‘im Monday night.”

Leo looked away. Although Rocksteady had agreed to going back to his old lifestyle, he was apparently growing a conscience. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stormed off when Sams said she was proud of him. “Well, you haven’t done anything yet.”

Joey frowned. “No. I guess I could just not show.”

Leo shook his head. “No, you’re going to show, but so are we.”


	7. Redemption

Rocksteady frowned at the turtle. “I ain’t no snitch.”

“No one needs to know that you’re the one that told us. You just meet him like you’re supposed to and we’ll follow. When they make the exchange, we can take them down.” Leo explained.

Joey sighed. “Yeah, okay, I can do that.”

Leo watched him look away despondently. He sighed as well. “Look, you didn’t actually go through with it, so I don’t count that as breaking our deal.”

Rocksteady looked up at him. “You’re not gonna tell Sams then?” Thinking of his sister and how upset she was, he started back to the lair. “I mean, she’s probably already mad at me.”

Leo walked beside him. “Well, maybe we can fix both problems.”

Joey gave him a skeptical look. “How?”

“I’ll tell her that this bust was your idea.”

Joey stopped to stare at him. “You’d do that for me? Why?”

“Well, it was kind of your idea. You are the one that found out about the activity. And you’re the one that found out where they’re going to be.” Leo started walking again. “As for the why,” he absently touched his plastron where the ring rested between it and his skin, “because it would make her happy.”

Joey spotted the chain for the first time and wondered when Leo’d started wearing it. They were getting close to the lair now. “She was cryin’?”

Leo’s frown was even deeper. “Yeah.”

Joey let out a tight breath. “I hate it when she cries. It’s like…”

“Being punched in the stomach.” Leo finished.

He nodded. “Yeah, just like that.” He shot Leo a quick look before they entered the lair. “Hey, uh, thanks.” Leo just gave a small nod.

Mikey nearly jumped on them, his expression somehow frantic and angry at the same time. “What the heck is goin’ on!”

“Where’d you two go?” Raph questioned angrily.

Leo glanced at Joey. “We had something we had to work out.”

Mikey glared. “Well, while you were talking things over, Sams’ been in there crying for the past ten minutes.”

Leo felt his heart plummet. “Where is she?”

“In your bed.” Don provided with a frown that matched his brothers.

Leo and Joey exchanged a look before they both headed for the bedroom area. Sams was curled up on Leo’s bed quietly crying. Leo climbed the steps into his alcove. He bent to brush her hair from her face. She blinked red eyes up at him and it made his chest tighten. She allowed him to lift her up as he sat beside her. “Hey, it’s okay.”

Joey stepped closer so she could see him. “Yeah, we didn’t hit each other or nothin’.”

“We just talked.” Leo rubbed her back warmly.

Sams looked between them, settling on Joey. “I’ll take them back.”

He blinked. “Huh? No. I wasn’t upset ‘bout the boots, Cupcake. I had somethin’ else I was worried ‘bout and it just came out at the wrong time. I like the boots, honest.”

She frowned, rubbing at her eyes. “You’re not mad at me?”

Joey shook his head. “No way. It was real nice of ya to get ‘em for me.”

Sams didn’t look completely convinced. She took in several deep breaths, brushing away the straggling tears. “What were you talking about?”

“Well, Joey was telling me about some guys at the docks that are stealing parts of shipments.” Leo told her. “He asked if we’d help catch the guys.”

A flicker of fear crossed her face and Joey rushed to reassure her. “They’re just petty thugs, Cupcake. It’ll be easy. There’s nothin’ to worry ‘bout.”

She looked up at Leo and he smiled. “He’s right. We shouldn’t have any problems.” Samantha wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. Leo sighed, holding her tightly. He and Rocksteady frowned at one another. They could tell she still didn’t like the idea.

“Well, it’s gettin’ late. I’m gonna head to bed.” Joey watched her lift her head to look at him. “Thanks for the boots. I’ll wear them tomorrow.”

A small smile tugged at the edge of her mouth as he left. Turning her blue eyes back on Leo, she touched his cheek. “Be careful. I don’t know what I’d do, if I lost you.”

“I promise.” He lifted her chin gently and kissed her. “Let’s go to bed. You know that’s my favorite time of day.”

His small tease made her finally smile. “Mine too.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Samantha frowned as she reached up to wrap her arms around Leo’s neck. He let out a deep breath, feeling the tension in her body. They’d have to take one of their walks when this was over. “I love you.” She murmured softly.

He squeezed her tightly. “I love you too. We’ll be back soon.” He felt her nod against his shoulder.

Samantha released him to turn to her brother. “Don’t look so down, Sams. At least this time, I’m on the right side.” Joey gave her a lopsided smile which did little to brighten her mood.

She stepped forward to hug him. “Don’t do anything stupid. I just got you back.”

Rocksteady let out a heavy sigh, returning the embrace. He forgot sometimes just how small and fragile she was. Where he had taken after their large father, she had taken after their petite mother. He stepped back and lifted her chin to meet his eyes. “I told ya someday I’d make ya proud of me. Well, this is my chance. Now how ‘bout givin’ me a smile.” She tried but it was weak at best.

“We’d better get going.” Leo said. The others climbed into the van, but he paused to give Sams’ hand one last squeeze before following.

She watched them pull away and turned to find Splinter watching her. “They are trained warriors, child. Your worry is unfounded in this situation. They have faced far more dangerous adversaries.”

She nodded, twirling the ring on her finger. “I suppose it’s something I’ll have to get used to. Or get used to again.” There had been many times in their youth that Joey had left her behind when his gang went to deal with another. None of Lugnut’s group would let her come along and if she tried to follow them, one would stay behind to keep her put. After the first few times she didn’t try anymore. Because when one stayed behind, she’d end up stitching someone up or worse. So, instead of causing her surrogate family more harm, she’d opted to obey, albeit unhappily.

Sams stepped up next to Splinter in the doorway. “I can understand, I too once loved someone.” He took her right hand and ran his thumb over the ring. “You and my son have a very special relationship.” He smiled and Sams blushed.

“You, uh, know about that, huh?”

He chuckled. “Yes. Leonardo often thinks he can fool me, but I am more aware than he thinks. In the past few weeks you two have become much closer.”

Her blush was dark red now. “How long have you known?”

“Since the first evening you returned.” He tapped his nose. “I have a rat’s senses after all.”

She glanced towards the exit, where the van had left a few moments before. “You’re not upset, are you?”

Splinter smiled. “Quite the opposite. Now come, let us have some tea while we wait for their return.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Raymond Riggs took a drag off his cigarette and looked at his watch again. _Trust that boy to be late!_ He tossed away the butt with a growl. _He’d better show before Romano._ As if on cue, he spotted his son approaching. “’Bout time. I was startin’ to think ya weren’t gonna show.”

Rocksteady frowned. “I got hung up. Sams was wantin’ to know where I was goin’.”

Raymond raised a brow. “What did ya tell ‘er?”

“That I was goin’ to work. Told ‘er I was workin’ overtime.”

Raymond let out snorted laugh. “Guess that’s kinda true.” He stood a little straighter. “At least ya got here before Romano.”

Joey looked at the large plain white truck that his father had been leaning on. “This how we’re gonna take it back to your boss?”

“Yeah. I’ll be doin’ the drivin’ though.”

“Never got a license anyways.” Joey muttered.

About that time, Romano and his buddies arrived. He gave Joey a suspicious look. “What’s he doin’ here?”

“He’s my kid and he’s gonna be helpin’ out from now on. You got a problem with that?” Raymond stared at the smaller man.

Daniels raised a brow, pointing at Rocksteady. “He’s your kid?”

Joey gave a mirthless chuckle. “What ya can’t tell?” Except for the blonde hair and blue eyes, he and his father looked nearly identical.

Fitch eyed them. “He was gonna rat on us the other day.”

“No, I wasn’t.” Rocksteady told him flatly. “I’m no snitch. I just was tryin’ to keep Scott’s job.”

“Sure looked like you wanted to say somethin’ to me.” Fitch pointed out.

Raymond frowned. “Well, he didn’t and he hasn’t. That ought to be good enough for you lot. Now where’s the merchandise?”

Hidden behind a large semi, Raphael frowned. “You got us to come out here for four guys? Rocksteady could take them all out on his own.”

Leo glared at his brother. “ _Joey_ has never taken anyone down so that there’s evidence of a crime.”

Donnie looked around the truck at the three newcomers. They talked for a few minutes and then the group walked to a nearby cargo container. He watched as they removed what must have been some type of counterfeit seal and opened the doors to reveal dozens of boxes. He glanced back at Leo. “Did he say what they were stealing?”

Leo shook his head. “No. I don’t think his father told him.”

Don squinted into the darkness, trying to see what was in the container. “Hmm, if I had to guess, I’d say it looks like electronics.”

“What difference does it make, dude? Stealing is stealing.” Mikey twirled his nunchakus idlily.

“Come on, let’s take these creeps down so we can go home already.” Raph groused.

“Wait until they’ve loaded a couple boxes, that way we can make sure the trucks involved too. Maybe the police can track it to the owner.” Don pointed out.

“Donatello’s right, we need to make sure that it’s very clear what they were doing and who’s involved.” Leo wanted to make certain that both Joey’s coworkers and his father were implicated in the transaction. That way they might all be sent away for a while.

The men had loaded several boxes and Leo was about to give the go-ahead for the take down, when another vehicle pulled up. Several men stepped out of the sedan. Raph ducked around to Donnie’s other side, so he could see who it was. “Ah, crud, is that Big Louie?”

“Yeah, looks like it.” Don eyed the gangster. They’d had plenty of run-ins with him.

Leo moved so he could see how many new enemies they’d have to deal with. Big Louie and four more thugs stepped in front of the car. “Alright, change of plans. Me and Donatello will take care of the thieves. Raphael and Michelangelo, you’ll take care of those gangsters.”

Rocksteady was starting to wonder where the turtles were as he helped move the boxes from the container to the truck. Suddenly, a pair of headlights caught their attention and they all froze. Raymond waved them off. “It’s the boss. He’s probably come to make sure you guys were keepin’ up your end of the deal.”

“How’s it goin’, Knuckles?” Big Louie asked as he and his men came around the car.

“It’s all here.” Raymond assured him.

“Good.” He turned his attention to the three men. “As for you guys, you shorted me the last time.”

Romano shook his head. “What? No, we didn’t! I swear!”

Big Louie huffed. “Then how come I got three empty boxes that had chunks of wood in them instead of computers?”

The three men exchanged looks. “We didn’t take any.” Fitch protested. He eyed Raymond and Joey. “It must’ve been him and his new helper.”

Joey glared at Fitch. “You better watch who you’re pointin’ fingers at. I can pound ya right here.”

Raymond ignored them, turning back to his boss. “Joey wasn’t even there during the last pickup. And you know me. I don’t need to steal from ya, I get paid plenty.”

Big Louie laughed. “And we’re gonna make plenty off this load too.” He turned his gaze back to the three men. “But first, we’re gonna have to teach you fellas a lesson.”

“I think that’s our line.” All eyes turned to where the turtles had suddenly appeared. Leo took a offensive stance. “And since you didn’t seem to learn the lesson last time, we’ll just have to teach it twice as hard.”

“Oh, no. Not these green freaks. Boys take care of ‘em.” Big Louie snapped his fingers and his four men charged the group.

“Turtles fight with honor!” Leo called as the four sprang into the fray.

Raphael kicked the first guy in the gut and then delivered a roundhouse that sent him flying backwards. The second goon didn’t plan on going down so easy as he pulled a laser rifle. Ducking the first few shots, Raph threw his sai and it knocked the gun from the man’s hand. He barely had time to react as Raph caught him with an uppercut. He teetered for a moment before falling over.

Beside Raph, Mikey was using one thug to beat up another by using the first as a shield. Every blow the second one threw nailed his buddy instead of the hyperactive turtle. When the first guy had finally had enough, Mikey dropped him to the ground and caught the second man’s fist. He swung around his nunchakus making contact with the back of the goon’s head, who instantly blacked out.

Meanwhile, Leo and Don had caught up with the other men. Romano, Fitch, and Daniels tried to make a run for it, but Don blocked their path. “Going somewhere?” He swept their legs with his bo, sending them sprawling on the cement.

Romano was the first back on his feet. “Outta the way, freak!”

As they’d matured they’d continued to grow larger. Now at twenty-five, Donatello was taller than the thugs at over six feet in height. He shook his head. “Stay down if you know what’s good for you.” Romano of course did not heed his warning. He swung at Donnie, who easily sidestepped the blow. Bringing his bo up, he gave him a solid tap on the forehead, stunning him. Then he swept his leg again. Romano hit the ground even harder this time. “Either one of you want to try your luck?” Fitch and Daniels exchanged a look, then both shook their heads no. “Good. Now stay down.”

Leo’s eyes narrowed as he approached Sams’ father. “I still owe you for the last time we met.”

The older man blinked in surprise. “You again.” He smirked. “You don’t have my boy helpin’ ya this time.”

“Actually,” Joey stepped around his father and to Leo’s side, “he does.”

“What!” His father shook his head in disbelief. “Why you- I oughtta pound ya into the ground.”

Leo looked at Joey. “Do you mind? You did get a piece of him last time.”

Joey raised a brow and then smirked. “Have fun.” He turned his back on both of them and went to help Donnie tie up the trio.

“I thought you wanted to take care of your sister!” Raymond called after his son, who completely ignored him.

Leo stowed his swords as he advanced on the man. He planned to give him back every pain he’d caused Sams. “She isn’t either of yours responsibility anymore. She’s _mine_.” He didn’t see Joey glance in his direction at the statement.

Raymond was not going down without a fight. He swung at Leo as soon as he was in range. Leo ducked, delivering a punch into his ribs. The large man grunted and tried to grab the turtle. But Leo was way too fast for him. He spun connecting his elbow with the side of the thug’s head. Raymond stumbled back a pace, but quickly recovered. He glared at the turtle and charged him, intending on body slam him into the ground. Leo sidestepped him, planting another blow in his ribcage. The combined force of Leo’s blow and Raymond’s own weight caused one of his ribs to snap. He gave a cry of pain and stumbled away from Leo.

The leader could still taste the edge of revenge in his mouth as followed his prey. “The only reason you’re still alive right now is because she wants it that way.” Leo punched him in the face. This time Raymond fell to the ground, dazed. Leo frowned down at him with malice. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t beat you within an inch of your life, if you ever come anywhere near her again.”

Raymond placed a hand against his jaw, fairly certain it was either dislocated or broke. He glared back, but didn’t attempt to get up. Taking his action as a sign of surrender, Leo took his eyes off him for a moment to assess the rest of his team. Raph and Mikey had Big Louie and his men tied up. Joey was helping Don tie the last of trio up and appeared to be enjoying himself a little too much.

Raph’s voice broke through the air. “Leonardo!”

Leo turned back to Sams’ father to find him not only on his feet, but with a switchblade in his hand which was quickly descending on him. He reflexively threw up his arm to block as he nailed the man with solid right hook. Raymond fell out cold.

His brothers rushed to his side. “Bro, you’re bleeding!” Mikey exclaimed.

“Let me see!” Don told him, reaching for his arm.

Leo turned it over to look at it, finally feeling the sting of the cut. It didn’t feel serious though. “It’s not bad.”

Don looked up from his cursory exam. “It may still need a few stitches though.” Donnie looked around for a clean cloth to use as a bandage. He went and took the handkerchief from Big Louie’s jacket pocket.

The gangster gave him a dirty look. “Hey, do you know how hard it is to find a hanky to match this suit?”

Raph smacked him in the back of the head. “Shut up.”

Donnie hurried back to Leo. Folding the handkerchief, he placed it over the deepest part of the wound. “Just keep pressure there until we get home.”

Leo nodded, then frowned down at his arm. Home? “Sams not going to like this.”

Rocksteady picked up his father, whom he’d tied up tightly. “Nah, she’ll just be happy you’re in one piece. She’s seen worse than that.”

“Yeah, I guess she has.” Leo thought back to their first meeting and how she’d been so calm when he was injured. But things were different now. They were a part of each other. He gave a small chuckle. “Well, hopefully she’ll wait until after she’s stitched me up to give me the lecture.”


	8. The Guilty

Leo watched Samantha work the small needle in and out of his skin. He was still a bit surprised at how good she was at it. But it seemed necessity was the best teacher. He tried again to catch her eye, but she was diligently ignoring him. She’d been very quiet when they’d arrived home and she’d seen his arm. She didn’t ask how he got it. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell her. Her father had caused her enough pain.

Finally, she tied off the fishing line and set the needle aside to wrap his forearm in a clean white gauze. When she was done, he gently lifted her chin. Her blue eyes finally met his and he could see the fear that was just behind her gaze. “It was an accident. I should have been paying better attention.”

His statement did not make her feel any better. In fact, it made her fear grow. She caught his hand that was still under her chin. “Leo…I…” She sighed, not knowing how to put her feelings into words. She knew they were skilled ninjas, Leo in particular. But it did not stop her fear. It had been the same when she and Joey had been teens. She knew he could hold his own, but it still scared her every time he walked out the door.

“I’m sorry. I should have been more careful.” He reached out to draw her close and nuzzle against her cheek. “We can take a walk, if you want.” He rubbed his thumb over her ring.

She let out a shuddering breath at the suggestion. A part of her really wanted to, but another was still trying to work out exactly how she felt about what had happened. _Maybe that’s what I need though. I need him to remind me that he is here with me, safe and sound._

“Hey.” They both jumped, finding Rocksteady standing over them. He frowned at the little ring on his sister’s hand that Leo was touching. He was beginning to feel like they were keeping something important from him. His frown only intensified as he turned his gaze to Leo. “What did ya mean out there, sayin’ Sams was your responsibility not mine?”

Leo frowned as well, not entirely sure how to answer. He decided to give as truthful of an answer as he could. “Just what I said. You don’t have to worry about being responsible for her, because I’m here now.” Sams lowered her eyes. She couldn’t meet her brother’s probing gaze at the moment. Currently her emotions were all over the place. He’d be able to tell it wasn’t the full truth right away.

Leo’s response only made Joey more suspicious. He snorted. “Of course she is! She’s my sister!”

Leo blinked at him. “Yes, but I’m her…”

Joey’s eyes narrowed. “You’re her what?”

Sams cleared her throat making them look at her. “First off, I am sitting right here. You don’t need to talk about me like I’m not. And second off, I don’t need anyone to be responsible for me. I am quite capable of taking care of myself.”

Leo flinched at her admonishment. “I’m sorry, Sams. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Joey, however, had not been diverted off his target. “You’re her what!”

Sams glared. “Joey-“

He glared right back. “No! Let ‘im answer!” He put a meaty fist against Leo’s chest. “What were ya gonna say! Tell me!”

Leo felt his own hackles rise as he stood from his chair. But Sams stepped between them. She glared up at her brother. “That’s enough!”

Joey’s eyes narrowed on his sister. He pointed a finger at her. “You’re hidin’ somethin’ from me! I wanna know what it is!”

Behind her, Leo growled at the mildly threatening action. “Just drop it!” Sams told him.

Rocksteady’s gaze had returned to Leo though. “Tell me turtle!”

“Joey!” Sams protested.

He shoved her aside to get in Leo’s face. “Tell me or I’m gonna pound it outta ya!”

The ninja worked his jaw, trying desperately to keep his temper under control as he watched her stumble a few steps back. “You’ve got a lot of nerve-“

“Stop it!” Sams grabbed her brother’s arm to pull him away.

He swung his arm back and she fell on her bottom with a little “umph.” Leo’s eyes widened and then narrowed. “Don’t treat her like that!”

Rocksteady’d had enough. He grabbed Leo by the neck. Leo growled, instinctively throwing a fist into his opponent’s gut. Joey gave a grunt, but his grip didn’t loosen. The blow only made him angrier. He pushed the turtle back into the wall. Leo pushed him back, making sure he wasn’t cornered.

By now their argument had drawn the attention of everyone else in the lair. Raph came charging through the door. “What’s goin’ on!” He was just in time to see, Rocksteady grab Leo by the neck again.

Sams jumped back to her feet and rushed towards the pair. The two were scuffling again. Leo kicked Joey away from him. As he did, the chain around his neck snapped. Joey raised a fist to nail Leo between the eyes. In the same moment, Leo gave a cry of warning to his spouse. “Sams!” She’d made it back to them just in time for Joey to raise his fist. He inadvertently elbowed her right in the side of the head.

In the seconds that followed, Raph and Mikey tackled Rocksteady and Leo lunged forward to catch Samantha as she fell. Donnie was a beat behind him, helping break her fall.

Joey gasped as he was pinned against the wall. He wasn’t entirely sure what had happened when his elbow had connected with someone behind him. Now his sister lay cradled unmoving in Leo’s arms. The turtle raised furious caramel eyes to glare at him. “You want to know so badly! Open your hand!”

Joey looked down at the chain he’d snatched from Leo’s neck. Slowly he opened his hand. In the center of his palm was a little gold ring that matched the one Sams was wearing. His eyes widened as he lifted them to meet Leo’s. “I’m her husband!” Leo growled.

Joey’s mouth hung open, a mixture of disgust, horror and disbelief crossing his features. “You mean you two…?” Raph and Mikey released him as he sank to the floor against the wall. He shook his head, trying to process what he’d just been told.

Across from him, Leo had turned his attention back to Sams. She still wasn’t moving. “Come on, Sweetheart, open your eyes.” A knot of worry grew in inside him. He looked at his brother. “Donnie?”

Don pried one of her eyes open. He frowned. “She’s got a concussion.” He glanced over his shoulder at Joey. “You must’ve hit her pretty hard.” He looked back at Leo. “She may be out for a while. We’ll need to keep an eye on her.”

Leo stood, holding Sams in his arms. He shot Joey a hard look before turning to leave.

“Wait.” Rocksteady stood and everyone tensed. The three brothers watched him closely as he took the few steps between him and Leo. “Here. This is yours.” He offered the chain to him. Leo opened one of his hands and he set the chain in it. Then Leo walked away with his sister clutched in his arms. Joey turned without a word and left the lair. Splinter watched him leave with a touch of concern.

But his attention quickly returned to the situation at hand. He followed Leonardo as he entered the bedroom area. He watched his son gently lay Sams on his bed and sit beside her. Splinter turned to his other three sons, who had also followed. “Raphael, please bring a bowl of cold water and a clean cloth.”

“Yes, Sensei.” Raph hurried off to get the items.

“What happened?” Don asked as he stepped closer to the bed.

Leo let out a deep sigh. “He figured out we were keeping a secret. He wanted to know what it was.”

Mikey frowned. “The same secret you were keeping from us. That you two somehow got married.”

Leo didn’t look up from his wife’s motionless form. “Yeah.”

“That’s really uncool, dude! We’re your bros! You should’ve told us!” Mikey looked at Donnie beside him. “Right?”

Don frowned, averting his gaze. He’d figured it out some time ago. “I’m sure Leonardo and Sams had their reasons for keeping it quiet.” Leo glanced his way, meeting his eyes. Don had assumed that if they wanted to keep it secret there had to be a good reason for it, so he hadn’t said anything.

Mikey’s brow bunched. “You knew? Did he tell you?” He felt a bit hurt by the idea that he’d been left out on purpose.

Don shook his head. “No, he didn’t have to.”

Raph arrived with the bowl of water. Splinter took it and stepped up into the alcove to sit on the other side of Samantha. Leo watched as he rang the cloth out and laid it on Sams’ head over the growing knot. He sighed. “We were trying to avoid _this_.” He waved a hand indicating their current predicament.

Splinter looked up at him. “As noble as your intentions may have been, I believe you have gravely injured Joey’s feelings. It might be wise to go after him before he reverts to his old ways.”

Leo shook his head, his eyes on his wife again. “No, I can’t leave Sams.”

“I can go get ‘im.” Raph offered.

Leo shook his head. “You’ll just antagonize him more, Raphael.”

Don frowned. “I think we should let him be for a while. It’ll give him a chance to think things over and calm down some.”

Mikey nodded. “I think Donatello’s right. I know it’s a big shock to him. It is to me anyways.”

“Very well. But I do caution you against leaving him alone for too long. You might very well cause the damage that Samantha was trying to prevent.” Splinter stood to face the others. “It has been a long night. I suggest you all try to rest.”

Leo didn’t feel much like sleeping, his mind thick with worry and his heart heavy with fear. Instead, he pulled a chair up beside the bed, holding Sams’ hand. How had things gone so wrong so fast? He and Sams had tried to not be overly affectionate in front of the others, especially Joey, as to not tip them off. But that had only been partially successful based on Donnie’s and Splinter’s reactions. It wasn’t hard to believe Donnie had figured it out. Splinter had barely reacted to the outburst at all, which meant he already knew. It seemed only Mikey and Joey were kept in the dark. And the couple had wanted to keep it that way for a bit longer.

Guilt ate at him. This was his fault. One slip of a word had caused all this. Now, his wife lay unconscious and her brother had taken off to who knows where. He’d hoped when Rocksteady found out that they had made their relationship permanent, he would be more accepting of both him and the idea of his sister staying with him. But that apparently was not the case. His mind rolled all these things around over and over, which only made his guilt grow.

Every hour or so, Don or Splinter would come to check on Samantha to be sure she wasn’t exhibiting signs of brain swelling or other symptoms that might suggest she was in decline. So far neither seemed to think she was in any immediate danger. It was late morning when Donnie came to check on her again. He found Leo staring at the ring on the chain in his hand. “You haven’t put it back on?” He asked softly as he leaned over to open one of Sams’ eyes and check the golf-ball size bruise on forehead.

Leo looked up at him for an instant, then back at the ring and chain. “I can’t. He broke it.” He lifted the clasp to show his brother.

Satisfied that Samantha’s condition had not changed, he looked at the clasp. “I can fix it.” He put out his hand for the chain. Leo frowned, but slipped the ring off it nonetheless and handed it over. Don gave him a weak smile. “I’ll bring it right back, okay?”

Leo gave a small sad nod, his eyes traveling back to the woman he’d fallen so hard for. “How is she?”

“Nothing to worry about. She seems to be pretty stable. Since this is her second concussion we need to be vigilant though. But I have a feeling she’ll wake up in a few hours.”

Don started to walk away, but Leo spoke. “Thanks.”

Donnie met his brother’s gaze. “No need. She’s family.” He gave him another smile and this time Leo returned a weak one of his own. Don left his brother watching over his wife and headed for his lab. All the little silver chain needed was a bit of soldering and it would be good as new. It didn’t take long to find his iron and make the quick repair. As he started back to the bedroom area, the phone rang. There were only a few people that knew their unlisted number and usually they didn’t call unless there was something wrong.

Frowning, he answered it. “Hello?”

“Um, is Sams there?” A feminine voice asked.

“She’s…sick. Can I help you?”

“Sick?” The woman sounded worried. “Oh, okay. I can manage without her. Tell her that I hope she feels better soon, and to take as much time as she needs.”

“You must be her boss?”

“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m Katherine Muse. Are you one of Leonardo’s brothers?”

“Yes, my name’s Donatello. I’ll let her know that you called. She may be out a few days though.”

There was a pause and Donnie could hear the frown in her voice when she spoke again. “That’s okay. Do you mind letting me know how she’s doing though? I’ve grown very fond of her in the past month.”

Don smiled at Katherine’s genuine concern. “Sure, that’s no problem. Does Leonardo have your number?”

“Yes, he should. Don’t hesitate to call if she needs anything.”

“Thanks, we won’t. And thanks for calling to check on her.”

“I was worried. Well, I’d better get moving. I have plenty to do. Goodbye, Donatello.”

Don couldn’t help the smile. It was refreshing to speak with someone so polite. “Goodbye, Katherine.” When he returned to the bedroom area, he found Mikey and Raph up and milling around. He stepped up into Leo’s alcove to return the chain. “Here.” He passed him the necklace. “Sams’ boss called.”

Leo was already clasping the chain back around his neck. It had felt odd not to wear it even for those few hours. He frowned. “I suppose I should have called her.”

“I told her Sams was sick and that it would be a few days before she came back to work. She seemed alright with it.”

Leo smiled just a little. “Yeah, she’s pretty nice. I met her the other day. And Sams said she has some kind of special tutoring program for kids.”

Don raised an eye-ridge. “Really?”

“Yeah, I don’t remember all the details.” He turned his gaze back to Sams. “But I’m sure she can tell you when she wakes up.”

Donnie squeezed his shoulder. “She’ll be okay.” He frowned at how tired his brother looked. “You should try to get some sleep. We can keep an eye on her.”

Leo rubbed his face. He’d been up more than twenty-four hours straight now. But every time he closed his eyes, his fear got the better of him. What if she never woke up? What if something happened while he was asleep? What if she woke up and he wasn’t there? The what-ifs were endless. But he wasn’t sure how much longer he could stay awake. He sighed. “Okay, but I’m staying here.”

“Fair enough, as long as you get some rest.” Don watched Leo shift Sams over just a bit so he could fit on the bed beside her. He nuzzled her cheek and draped an arm across her. Within mere moments he was out.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Rocksteady had left the lair with no particular destination in mind. His intention was simply to get out of there. His chest ached with the knowledge of Sams’ secret. How could she go behind his back and do something like that – something that important? He clenched his fists. _This is Leonardo’s doin’! I knew I should’ve gotten her outta there sooner!_ He came to a ladder and pulled himself up to street level. Then he started walking again. His feet seemed to have a mind of their own as he walked. Chewing on his bottom lip, he worried over Sams. He hoped he hadn’t hurt her too bad. He hadn’t meant to hurt her at all. Again that was Leo’s fault, if he had just told him the truth things may have been different. Then again, they might have been worse.

It still irritated at him that his sister wanted to be with a turtle. Why couldn’t she just be into normal guys! Sams had always been soft hearted – way too soft hearted for the streets. Her compassion had always been her weakness. She always gravitated to the ones no one else would even consider - the ones that were awkward or shy or clumsy or just plain different. He’d chased most of them away though. A little roughing up and the ones that were spineless took off.

Rocksteady sighed, finally looking up at where he was. He’d returned to his old neighborhood. It was nearly three in the morning but he knew one place that would still be open. Walking across the still quiet street, he pushed open the door to the Corner Pub. Several people looked in his direction, some of which he recognized.

The bartender squinted at him through his glasses. “Rocksteady? I thought you were dead.”

Joey grunted at his old nickname. “Sorry to disappoint ya. Now give me a beer, Glasses, and shut up.”


	9. New Problems and Old Patterns

“He’s been here all night. Showed up around three and ain’t left. I left and came back and he’s still here!” Glasses explained.

Lugnut frowned at the scene before him. “Thanks for callin’. I’ll take care of this.” He crossed the bar to where Rocksteady was sitting at a table with three other men that were somewhat new to their part of town.

Rocksteady leaned on the table getting unnecessarily close to the guys. “Yeah, I used to be a rhino. Had a horn and everything. I was bigger and tougher than I am now.” He snorted. “Gave it all up though for someone, but I’m startin’ to think it wasn’t worth it.” His words slurred together and came out louder than they should have.

“Hey, Rock.” Lugnut stepped up beside them and the three guys looked a bit relieved. They were already aware that he and his gang ran the area.

Rocksteady looked up at him and blinked. “Hey, Lugnut! I was just tellin’ these guys ‘bout bein’ a rhino.” He looked at the guys and jabbed a thumb at his old friend. “He knows! He’ll tell ya!”

Lugnut frowned at his friend’s drunkenness. “Yep, ya was a big gray rhino alright. Why don’t ya come with me, Rock? We’ll go see the gang. They’ll be surprised to see ya.” He took the empty bottle from his friend’s hand and set it next to the other seven.

“Yeah, yeah! That’s a good idea!” Rocksteady tried to stand, but he swayed a bit.

Lugnut caught his arm and pulled it over his shoulder. “Time to go, buddy.” He half dragged half walked him towards the door. “I’ll take care of tab later.” He told the bartender as they left. They headed up the street to the pad they all shared, a top floor apartment in one of the old rundown apartment buildings that lined the streets here. “What’s up Rock? I ain’t never seen ya this plastered ‘fore.”

Rocksteady pulled away from his friend to lean against a cool brick wall. His legs quickly gave out though and he sank to the ground. “She don’t need me no more. Worse, she lied to me!” His gaze dropped to the dirty cement. “I hurt ‘er.”

Lugnut stood frowning at his friend, trying to interpret the garbled information mixed with the slur. It took a solid minute before he understood. His eyes narrowed. “You hurt Sams?”

“I didn’t mean ta. It was an accident.” Rocksteady clenched his fists. “It was that stupid turtle’s fault!”

Lugnut’s frown returned. “What turtle?” Then it struck him, he was referring to the guy he’d seen Sams with a few months ago.

“She hooked up with one of those green freaks! And when I say hooked up, I mean _hooked up_ -hooked up.” Heartache flickered across his features. “She picked him over me! After everything I’ve done for ‘er! And she lied to me ‘bout it!” He dropped his face into his large hands, his head pounding.

Lugnut watched his old friend’s moods flip-flop several times. He was obviously in bad shape. “Come on, Rock. Ya can crash with us for a while, till ya get your head on straight.” He tugged him back to his feet and they started up the sidewalk again. Joey didn’t resist. Maybe that’s just what he needed, to be around familiar people that always accepted him for what he was – a screw up.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

It was nearly three in the afternoon when Leo felt Samantha stir beside him. His eyes snapped open and he pushed himself up on his elbow to look down at her. Slowly her blue eyes opened and he let out a relieved breath. “Hey, Sweetheart.”

She smiled up at him and then lifted a hand to touch the lump on her temple. “What happened?”

“Joey accidently elbowed you. You’ve been out for more than twelve hours.” He stroked her cheek, his expression reflecting the sorrow he felt. “I’m sorry, this was my fault. If I hadn’t said what I did at the docks….”

Her eyes widened. How could he think that! They had made the decision together to keep their marriage quiet for a while. She touched his cheek. “No, this is _our_ fault. We did this together.” He leaned into her palm, closing his eyes and savoring its tenderness. A thought struck her and she looked around the room. “Where’s Joey?”

Leo’s frown returned. “I don’t know. He took off after he found out and he hasn’t came back yet.” Fear marred her face and she started to sit up. Leo put his hand on her shoulder, keeping her down. “Don’t worry. We’ll go look for him. You stay in bed. I wanted to make sure you were okay before we left.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “I hurt him.” She said softly as they trickled down her cheeks. “What if he does something terrible?”

“He won’t. He’s changed.” Leo brushed the tears away. “He’s your brother. I know he cares about you. He’ll forgive you. Because that’s what brothers do.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I doubt he’ll do the same for me though.”

She frowned. “He will, but it may take some time.” He nodded and she slipped her arms around his neck. He pulled her close. A new worry was blossoming in his chest. What if Joey was so upset that she’d decide to leave with him after all? He shuddered. That was a terrifying prospect for him. He didn’t just want her there anymore, he needed her there. “I’m not going anywhere.” She said softly, turning her head to place a kiss on his cheek.

He leaned back to look at her with awe. “How do you do that? How do you always know what I need to hear?”

A tiny smile appeared as she met his eyes. “It’s my job to know.”

A warm smile stretched across his lips, before he pulled her close again. “We’ll find him.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

“Leonardo, where are we going?” Raphael asked as three of the brothers trudge through the sewer tunnel.

 “Did Sams give you any ideas of where she thought he might have taken off to?” Mikey stopped as Leo started to climb a ladder to the surface.

He paused only a few rungs up. “Yes, and I think she’s right. He would have gone to the only other place he felt safe.” He started up the ladder again and pushed the manhole cover aside.

“And where’s that?” Raph climbed out followed by Mikey.

“To his old gang.”

Mikey frowned. “Do you know where they’re at?”

Leo frowned as well. “Not exactly, but I do know where to start.”

A few minutes later they stepped through the door of the Corner Pub. Glasses looked up, frowning at the three turtles in trench coats. He recognized the one leading them. “Ain’t you caused enough problems?”

Leo looked around, but didn’t see Joey anywhere. He looked back at the bartender. “Where is he?”

Glasses snorted. “Why should I tell you? From what I gathered, you’re the reason he was here drinkin’ in the first place.”

Raphael pulled a sai stepping closer to the bar. “Tell us where he went or I won’t be nice about it.”

Leo put a hand on his brother’s arm, staying his advance. “I just want to talk to him. That’s all.”

Glasses eyed the sai and the red-banded turtle. “Lugnut came and got ‘im.”

“And where’d he take him?” Mikey asked from behind the others.

Glasses didn’t answer and Raph took another step forward. “Where?”

“Fine.” Glasses figured if these guys wanted trouble with Lugnut’s gang, then they could have it. There being only three, they’d probably get their butts handed to them. “They crash at the apartment building down the street on the left. You’ll know the one, his guys hang around outside.”

“Thanks.” Leo said in a calm voice.

“I ain’t doin’ it for you. I’m doin’ it for her.” He sighed. “He was in bad shape when he left. I don’t want to see Cupcake hurt.”

“That’s why we’re here.” Leo turned and led his brothers up the street. The apartment building was easy to spot just like Glasses had said. Five thugs were lounging on the steps.

The men looked up as the three came to stop in front of them. One of the guys gave them a cold look. “Keep movin’, freaks.”

“Is Rocksteady here?” Leo had been calling him Joey for so long that it felt kind of strange using the old name.

A man close to the door stood. “Who’s askin’?”

“Is he here or not?” Raph quipped.

Leo shot him a look. He wanted to keep this peaceful. Sighing, he looked back up at the man. “We just want to talk. Tell him Leonardo’s here.”

The man frowned and glanced at a teenager. The boy went inside, only to return a few moments later with Lugnut. The older thug glared at Leo, folding his arms. “Whatever ya gotta say, say it to me.”

“I just want to talk to him. Sams is worried about him. At least let me see him, that way I can tell her he’s okay.” Leo reasoned.

Lugnut eyed Raph and Mikey. “Just you.”

“What!” Mikey gasped. He grabbed Leo’s arm. “No way! You can’t do that, bro.”

Raph nodded. “Yeah, anything could happen to you in there.”

Leo met Lugnut’s gaze. “No, they won’t hurt me. Sams used to live here. If they hurt me, that would only hurt her.” Lugnut gave a small nod of acknowledgement. Leo turned to meet both his brothers’ eyes. “Stay here.”

“But Leonardo…” Mikey protested as their leader followed Lugnut inside.

Raph set a hand on his shoulder. “He’ll be okay.” He shot the thugs on the steps a hard look. “He’d better be.”

Inside, Lugnut lead the way up the stairs to the top floor. He paused on the landing to scowl at the turtle. “I don’t know exactly what happened yesterday. I ain’t been able to get the full story out of ‘im. But last night he got pretty wasted. He’s been sleepin’ most of the day. Get this straight, turtle. You try anything and I’ll throw ya out the window. Got it?”

“I have no intention of causing problems. I’m here for Sams.”

Lugnut frowned, averting his gaze for a moment. “How is she? He said somethin’ ‘bout hurtin’ her.”

“She woke up a couple hours ago. My brother is staying with her. It may take a few days, but she should be okay.” Leo could still feel his own guilt over the incident, even though it had been an accident.

“Good.” Lugnut muttered. He turned and opened the door into the large apartment. Leo followed as he crossed the room to an old mattress on the floor. Lugnut nudged Joey with the toe of his boot. “Yo, Rock. Ya got a visitor.”

Joey slowly sat up, rubbing at his eyes. He frowned first at Lugnut then at Leo. “She okay?” Joey asked and Leo nodded. He scowled. “So, what do ya want then?”

Leo removed his hat so he could be more easily seen. “I want you to come back with me. Sams is worried about you.”

He snorted, leaning back against the wall. “She don’t need me. She’s got you. Ain’t that right?”

Leo sighed. “She does have me. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need you too. You’re still her brother.” Leo felt the tug of guilt. “Look I’m sorry for what I said at the docks. She is primarily my responsibility now. But she still wants – needs - you as part of her life. She’ll never be happy, if she thinks you hate her.”

Joey’s gaze burned with anger. “I don’t hate her. I hate you!”

Leo had expected that. “Joey, it was never our intention to hurt you. She wanted to stay with me. We both figured you wouldn’t go for that.”

Joey glared. “So, ya thought marryin’ my sister would make things better?”

Leo’s hand went to the ring around his neck. “It may never be legal on the surface, but it is _real_. I love her and she loves me. I will never apologize for that.” He sighed again. “We thought this would make it easier for you, when it was time for you to leave.”

“Easier!” He growled, coming off the floor. Leo was caught off guard when Rocksteady slammed a fist into his face. Leo took a few steps back out of range. But he didn’t retaliate. On some level he’d deserved it. Joey jabbed a large finger at him. “The only reason I ain’t poundin’ ya into the ground right now is ‘cause Sams would never forgive me!” He ground his teeth. “She picked you over me, ain’t that what ya wanted!” He turned and stalked off towards the window. “Just leave!”

Leo pressed a hand to the side of his face. “I can’t. She wants you to come back. And if you being there is what makes her happy, then I want you to come back too.”

Rocksteady huffed, keeping his back to Leo. Sams was trying to make things easier on him. She was still trying to take care of him. They were right to think he would have demanded she leave with him. As a matter of fact, that was the reason he’d decided to hook up with his dad in the first place. He’d wanted to take her away from Leo, away from the sewers. But she apparently truly loved Leo, if she was willing to go to such lengths to stay with him. He couldn’t be angry with her for wanting to stay with someone she loved. But the sting of betrayal was still there.

“Come home with us, Joey. She really wants to see you.” Leo pleaded.

Joey let out a heavy breath. “No. I can’t.”

Leo frowned. “If you don’t, she’s going to be very upset.”

“I know. But I can’t.” He shot the turtle a hard look over his shoulder. “You’re just gonna have to deal with it. Like you said, she’s yours now.”

Leo made a face at his words being twisted like that. There was little he could do though, if Joey didn’t want to come back with them. At least he’d seen him and could tell Sams he was safe. “Would you at least call her? I know she’d be grateful to just hear your voice.”

“I’ll think about it.” Rocksteady felt a little guilty for running out on his sister again. But he couldn’t face her – not yet. Leo gave a small nod and turned to leave. “Tell ‘er, I’m not mad at ‘er. I just…I just need some time to clear my head.”

The blue-banded turtle gave another sad nod. “I will.”

When he was gone, Lugnut put a hand on Rocksteady’s shoulder. “Ya know ya can crash with us as long as ya need. But at some point, you’re gonna have to talk to ‘er.”

Joey frowned, watching Leo exit the building to meet up with two of his brothers. “I will, just not today.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Don chuckled. “You’re not bad at this.”

Sams smiled a bit. “Joey always said I had a good poker face.” She set down her hand of cards so he could see her straight flush. Then she frowned a bit at the thought of her brother.

Don put a hand on her shoulder. “Leonardo won’t give up until he finds him.”

She let out a forlorn breath. “I know.” _But will he come back with him is the question._

The sound of voices alerted them to the others returning. Don looked towards the entrance of the common area of the bedroom. When he spotted Leo, he knew right away that Joey had not come back with them. Leo stepped up into his alcove and Don picked up the cards spread across the bed. Standing, he met his brother’s gaze. “Remember to keep her awake.” Leo nodded as he left.

Sams frowned up at him. “He didn’t come back with you, did he?” She touched his cheek as he sat beside her. “Did he do this?”

Again he gave a small nod as he took her hands. “I did see him though. He’s alright. He was with Lugnut.”

She took some comfort in that knowledge at least. He was safe, but he didn’t want to come back. “He’s mad at me. Not that I can blame him. I did lie to him.”

Leo squeezed her hands. “No, he said to tell you he’s not mad at you. He just needs some time to think.” She gave a small nod of her own and he wrapped her tightly in his arms. She immediately relaxed, drawing in his scent. “He’s got to work things out. He has to learn to accept things. I had to learn to accept him as your brother. Now he’s going to have to learn to accept me as a permanent part of your life forever. ” He kissed her brow. “Because I’m not going anywhere ever.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against it. “Thank you for trying.” She knew it had to grate at his pride to go and ask Joey to come back. But Leo had done it without question and without hesitation. Which only made her love him more. She’d give Joey the room he needed, but she hoped that didn’t give him time to also fall back into old habits. Lugnut’s gang would be influential, but not necessarily in a good way.

Leo finally sat back, his gaze falling on the knot on her left temple. “How’s the head? Are you feeling any better?” The knot was now a large purple and black splotch against her pale skin.

“It’s okay. I had a headache, but Donatello gave me something for it. Now, other than it being a bit sore, I feel fine.”

He ran his fingers through her soft curls. “Do you feel like eating? Michelangelo insisted we bring back dinner.”

Sams smiled at the amusement in his tone. “Yes, I think I could eat a bit. But could we eat at the table, I’m tired of being in the bed.”

Leo frowned, then nodded. “Okay, but if you need to rest, you’ll tell me?”

She nodded. “I promise.” Leo surprised her when he scooped her into his arms and started for the kitchen. He wasn’t going to let her walk with her head injury. She sighed softly, resting her head on his shoulder. Leo always managed to make her feel so safe. Lifting her head, she kissed his cheek. “I love you.”

His small smile grew. “I love you too.”

“Hey, how are you feeling, dudette?” Mikey asked as Leo set her in a chair.

She offered him a warm smile. “Better.”

Raph frowned. “Sorry, we couldn’t get ‘im to come back. But I could always drag ‘im back here, if you want.”

“No, that would only make things worse. As long as I know he’s safe, I can let him be. And if he’s with Lugnut, I know he is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this will be the last update for a few weeks, because I'm going out of town. But the next chapter is super adorable! Now you have something to look forward to. XD


	10. Sparks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's nice to be back home! Thank you all for your patience. I hope you are enjoying this story. Also, my computer jargon is a bit lame, so forgive me. My generation was one of the first to have the more "modern" tech of the late 80's - early 90's. I remember working with DOS and HTML, but we didn't really do a lot of "coding", so please forgive any errors.

“She should be back to work tomorrow. We just wanted to be cautious.” Donnie sat beside the telephone in the old armchair.

“I’m relieved to hear it. I appreciate you keeping me updated, Donatello. To tell the truth, I’ve been a bit overwhelmed trying to watch the shop and meet my deadlines for my other job.” Katherine grunted in annoyance at herself. “Which I’m currently not getting anywhere with.”

“It’s really no problem. As for your other job, I thought Sams said you tutored kids?”

“I do that in my spare time on weekends mainly.”

Don frowned. “Then what are you having trouble with, maybe I can help?”

She smiled on the other end. “Not unless you understand substitution-permutation. I’m creating a new encryption code, but I’m having a problem with a section. Every time I do a test model my system crashes.” She sighed. “It takes several hours to get everything back up.”

Donnie was surprised. “Really? You’re working with AES?”

Katherine nearly dropped the phone. “You know about AES?”

“I’ve heard they’re working on a new one-twenty-eight code.”

Katherine sighed again. “Yes, but if I can’t fix this block I’m not going to meet my deadline.”

“Why don’t I come with Sams tomorrow? I can take a look.” This sounded like a challenge and he’d been sadly lacking in those lately.

Katherine felt a touch of relief. “Well, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“No, it’s not.” He smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yes, and thank you, Donatello.”

His smile grew a bit. “You’re welcome.” They said their goodbyes and he hung up. For a moment, he let his mind mull over the problem she seemed to be having. Until a soft voice spoke beside him.

“Are you okay, Donatello?”

He looked up to find Sams watching him. “Yes. I was just letting Katherine know you were coming back tomorrow.”

Her expression dropped. “Oh, I never even thought to call her. Not with all this mess with Joey. She was probably worried about me.”

He nodded. “She was. She called while you were unconscious. I told her I’d keep her updated. You never told me she was into computers.”

Sams shrugged. “I didn’t really understand what she was talking about, so I guess it just slipped my mind.”

“Well, she was telling me about a problem she’s having. I thought I might come with you tomorrow, so I could take a look at her algorithm and coding.” He glanced towards the dojo where he could hear Leo and Mikey sparring. “Plus, I think Leonardo would feel better if one of us was with you on your first day back.”

Sams smiled, touched by both his concern for her and his consideration for his brother. “I know he would.”

Leo was indeed very happy to know Don was going to be with her all day. It did feel a little strange to Sams leaving Leo behind in the lair while she walked to work with Donnie. She rarely went anywhere with one of his brothers without Leo there. Not that she minded, she enjoyed spending time with his brothers. It just didn’t happen often.

She couldn’t help but notice there was a little more pep in Don’s step as they headed towards the book store. Glancing at him, she grinned. “You seem happy.”

“Huh?” He slowed his pace a bit. “Oh, well it just feels good to be useful again.”

“I think you’ll like Katherine, she’s got a very kind heart. Like I told Leo, I think it would be great for all of us to be friends with her.” She frowned, turning her gaze back to their path. “She doesn’t really have anyone.”

Beside her, Donnie frowned as well. He couldn’t imagine a person like Katherine not having friends. She seemed to have a rather pleasant personality, genuine and caring. He’d come to enjoy talking to her on the phone. He might have even gone so far as to say they were already friends. They’d arrived at the bookstore and he glanced at the name on the sign. _The Muse’s Books? What a nice play on words._

“Looks like she beat us here.” Sams said as she pushed open the door. “Come on, she’s usually in the back.” Don followed her as they stepped around the counter through an open doorway. There was a woman standing with her back to them with light brown hair. She didn’t seem to notice them. “Katherine?”

When the woman turned to look at them, Donnie felt his breath hitch. He hadn’t expected someone so young or so lovely. Her eyes were incredible. The left was a bright blue while her right was a bright green. What also stunned him was that her expression held absolutely no fear, only curiosity.

As soon as she spotted Sams she came rushing around the desk to bearhug her. “Sams! Oh, I was so worried about you!”

Samantha giggled in the crushing embrace. “Katherine, I can’t breathe!”

She stepped back with a smile. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”

“Uh, yeah. I’m fine now.” Sams gestured at Donnie. “This is Donatello, one of Leo’s brothers.”

Katherine watched the turtle remove his hat. The first thing that caught her attention were his eyes. They were so bright and intelligent. The second was his smile which was so gentle. He extended his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

She took his hand warmly with a smile of her own. “Yes, it is.” She brought her other hand around to press his between both of hers. “It’s really nice of you to help me out.”

Don had nearly forgot why he’d come with the incredible tingle that was now racing through his hand and up his arm. “I guess I should take a look at it for you.”

Her eyes never left his. “Of course, I’ll show you.”

Beside them Sams had been forgotten. She suddenly felt like a third wheel. “Uh, I’ll go watch the front.” She raised a brow when no one notice her leave. Smiling to herself, she prepared for the day. _I think he’ll be just fine._

In the office, Katherine finally released Don’s hand to step around the desk. It took a moment for him to follow. He took a fold-up chair from a nearby corner and set in next to her. He felt his pulse race a little, they were so close he could smell her sunflower perfume.

Katherine was already pulling up her code. “The thing encrypts just fine, but when I run the decryption something is causing my OS to crash.” She shook her head. “I have no idea why. The encrypt and decrypt have the same basic coding except in reverse of course. I don’t see how the software is affecting my OS.”

Don gestured at the keyboard and mouse. “May I?”

“Of course!” She moved her chair to the side as he scooted his in front of the computer. His hands moved across the keyboard with incredible accuracy, moving him through screen after screen faster than any person she’d ever seen. She was starting to wonder if he was actually processing the data he was seeing when he stopped.

He frowned at the screen. “Your algorithm is fine. It’s here in your recovery section.” He pointed to the screen.

Katherine frowned as well. How had he spotted that? It was literally one digit off. “I would never have seen that.”

Don smiled. “Oh, I’m sure you would have eventually. Considering how detailed and brilliant the rest of your program seems, this was likely a typo.”

She continued to frown. “You just solved three days of problems in ten minutes.”

He sat back to look at her with warm caramel eyes. “Sometimes all you need is a fresh pair of eyes.”

“Well, I’m very appreciative. I suppose you want to head home now. I almost feel like I wasted your time.”

He raised an eye-ridge. “No, I was very happy to help. And I was thinking maybe I should stay,” he felt himself blush a little, “and run the test model with you. Just in case there is some other bug. I didn’t see one, but I did just do a cursory run-through.”

A smile touched her pink lips. “Maybe you should.” When she met his eyes, he felt a warmth spread over his whole body.

The next few hours they spent modifying and running test models. At last Katherine sat back with a sigh of relief. “Wow, that was fast. My deadline isn’t until tomorrow afternoon and I figured I was going to pull an all-nighter. Now it seems I have some free time on my hands.” She reached across the space between them and squeezed Don’s hand. “Thank you.”

He smiled, squeezing it back. “Actually, I haven’t had this much fun in a while.”

She chuckled. “Well, at least I’m entertaining.”

He laughed, wrapping his other hand around hers. “You’re a lot more than that.”

Katherine blushed. “Uh, how about I get us some lunch. It’s the least I could do for you.”

“That sounds great. I’ll stay here with Sams. I need to see how she’s feeling anyway.”

Katherine stood, reluctantly pulling her hand free. “Do you want anything in particular?”

Don shook his head. “Anything but pizza. I get enough of that at home.”

She chuckled as he followed her out to the front. “I’ll be back soon.”

Sams watched her leave and turned to look at Donnie. “Where’s she going?”

“To get us all some lunch.”

Both her brows rose. “Really?”

Don frowned. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, it’s just I’ve never seen her go out to get us lunch before. We usually just get it delivered.”

Don smiled a little. “Well, I helped her finish off her project, so she has some free time on her hands.”

She gave him a lopsided smile. “I’m surprised. It didn’t sound like you two were working back there, just having fun.”

Donnie frowned. “We were working, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun while we work.”

Sams could tell there had been much more than just working going on in that office. “So, I guess you won’t have to come back tomorrow. Leo may be a bit disappointed you’re not here to keep an eye on me.”

Don’s frown deepened and she could almost see the wheels turning in his head. He glanced at her. “How are you feeling? Not too tired or anything?”

“I’m fine.” She answered honestly, then smirked. “Unless you don’t want me to be.” She giggled a little when he blushed.

“I’d never want you to be unwell, Sams. But if it makes Leonardo feel better, I could still come along tomorrow.”

She smiled. “Well, in that case we’ll just have to see.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Leo ran his mouth along the curve of Sams’ neck. By the gods, how he loved how she smelled after they’d made love. His scent mixed with hers making it sweet and tangy. Her hands came up to squeeze his arm, where it rested across her chest. At least they didn’t have to hide their marriage any longer. It meant she didn’t have to wash his scent away so fast and he could savor it much longer. He pulled her tighter against him, her back flush with his plastron. “I missed you today.” He’d just gotten used to her being gone all day when she’d gotten hurt. Now that she’d stayed home for several days, he almost didn’t want to let her go back. But he knew he had to. Working on the surface was something she enjoyed. So, if it made her happy, he would just have to suffer through those hours alone.

“I missed you too.” She ran her nails gently down his forearm and smiled. “But I do think Donatello enjoyed himself today. I don’t think I’ve seen him smile that much in a long time.”

He nuzzled the back of her neck again. “Really? Why?”

“I think he found Katherine interesting.”

Leo was a bit surprised. “He did?”

She turned on the old couch to face him. “I think he wants to go back. Maybe you should give him a reason to go back. I think it would make both him and Katherine happy.”

He frowned a bit. He’d always enjoyed walking her to and from work. It gave them a little private time. And it made him feel better to know she arrived there safely.

She stroked his cheek. “I know it feels a little odd, but maybe in a few days he’ll have his own reasons for seeing her. Then you can start walking with me again.”

He sighed. “Alright. But just for a few more days.”

She kissed him. “Maybe this will make him feel better.”

Remembering the way his brother had been listless and aimless lately, he had to agree. He hoped Don would find a new purpose. And if Katherine was it, he was completely for it. “You know, I think it just might.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Katherine smiled as she watched Sams and Don enter the door. “Donatello, you came back.”

“Leonardo asked me to keep an eye on Sams for a few more days. I hope that’s alright.”

She glanced at Sams. “Are you still feeling bad?”

Sams smiled. “Uh, no, not really. But because I was so sick, Leo is being a bit overprotective.”

“Oh, I see.” Katherine’s smile grew a bit as she met Don’s eyes. “I certainly don’t mind the company. Maybe you could help me with a few things.”

Don’s smile was just as bright. “Absolutely.”

He followed her into the back and watched her unlock a door. He looked around as the lights came on. “Is this where you tutor?”

“Yes. They’ll be here tomorrow and thanks to you, I finally have time to organize a few things.” She went to one of the tables and began straightening things.

Don walked around, gazing at the white boards covered in formulas and figures. Some were related to mathematics, some engineering and some chemistry.  He stopped and stared at one particular formula. “This is brilliant.”

She looked up. “Oh, that’s Devin’s. His chemistry skills are extraordinary.”

“Has he done this experiment?”

“Yes, but on a rather small scale.”

Don was very curious. The formula suggested that certain organic materials could be synthesized. If it worked it would mean that lost or damaged organs could be grown in a lab to fit a specific person with a specific need, like a new lung or heart. “What were the results?”

She frowned. “Unsuccessful so far. He still needs to do some refining I think. But I keep telling him to keep working at it. It would be an incredible breakthrough.”

He nodded. “Yes, most definitely.”

The bell chimed at the front of the store, followed by Sams’ voice. “Hey! You can’t go back there!”

Both Don and Katherine looked towards the door as a small form darted into the room. “Miss Kathy!” The nine-year-old boy threw his arms around her waist and began to cry.

Katherine gasped. “Ryan? What’s wrong?”

Sams appeared in the doorway. “I’m sorry, I tried to stop him.”

“No, it’s okay.” She finally pried his arms loose so she could kneel down in front of him. Another gasp followed as she took his face in her hands. Anger crossed her gentle features. “Oh, honey! Did he do this to you?” The left side of the boy’s face was red and swollen.

Ryan gave a small nod, more tears falling. He gave a small hiccup, trying to speak through them. “He said I couldn’t come anymore!” He began to sob again as he threw his arms around her neck.


	11. Hard Acceptance

Katherine gripped the child tightly, her body trembling with anger. “That’s it! I have had enough!”

Don was surprised when she picked up the boy and marched out of the room. “What’s happening? What are you doing?”

Katherine scowled. “I’m calling the police! Nobody hurts my babies!”

Ryan’s head came up. “No! No! Miss Kathy, he’ll be mad!”

“Let him!” She growled as she dialed the phone with her free hand. “He won’t be around to do anything about it!”

Donnie frowned as he watched her speak to an officer. Hanging up, she hugged the boy close as if he were a small child, when he wasn’t much smaller than her. She finally settled into her chair and sat him in her lap to take a better look at his face. She looked up. “Sams, would you mind going next door and getting him some ice.”

“Sure.” Sams hurried out.

Don frowned. “If the police are coming, I shouldn’t be here. We don’t exactly associate with them.”

She met his gaze and he was taken aback by the fear that danced behind her eyes. “I’d rather you stay.”

Frowning, he stepped around the desk to put a hand on her shoulder. “Then I’ll stay, but I’ll keep out of sight while they’re here.”

She gave him a weak smile. “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem.” He assured her.

Ryan lifted his head to stare up at Donnie, whom he hadn’t noticed before. He blinked, trying to clear the tears away, swiping at the uninjured side of his face. “You’re… You’re one of the ninja turtles I’ve seen on TV.”

Don nodded. “Yes.”

Ryan looked up at Katherine, his mouth hanging open. “You know the turtles, Miss Kathy?”

She smiled slightly at his excitement. “Yes, well two of them. This is my friend Donatello.”

Don smiled kneeling down beside the chair. “It’s nice to meet you, Ryan.” Then his expression turned serious as he took a good look at the boy’s face. “Who hurt you?”

The boy’s bottom lip jutted out as tears again filled his eyes. “My uncle.”

“Your uncle?” Don looked questioningly at Katherine.

“He lives with him.” Anger filled her gaze once more. “And this isn’t the first time he’s done this.”

Ryan blinked at her in surprise. “You knew?”

Her own gaze softened as she looked down at him. “Yes, honey. You don’t get marks like that from falling down steps.” That had been the story Ryan had told her when she’d seen bruising on his arms.

The boy frowned. “Oh… Will the policeman make me go home? I don’t want to go back.”

Katherine gently wiped away his tears. “No, honey, they won’t.”

“Promise?”

She pulled him close, knowing the awful fear in his heart. “I promise.”

Don stood as Sams entered the room. He stepped back as the blonde hurried around the desk to hand over a small bag of ice. She frowned, letting out a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see it when he came in.”

Don suddenly realized that Samantha was shaking. The scene had obviously dredged up some terrible memories. He put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. She took a small step towards him and he hugged her. “It’s okay.” She gave a slow nod against his plastron. He frowned again. “I’ll call Leonardo to come get you. I’m going to be staying.”

It took her a long moment to answer. She wanted to stay. Something like this shouldn’t send her running home and yet she couldn’t stop her trembling. “I think that may be best.”

Katherine met Don’s eyes, then glanced between Sams and Ryan. He gave her a small nod. The brunette’s eyes widened in surprise. She quickly smothered the expression when Sams stepped back from Donnie. He squeezed his sister’s shoulders. “I’ll be right back.” He stepped back into the front of the store to watch the entrance for the NYPD and any unwanted guests. He pulled his com and waited for someone to pick up.

Leo looked worried when he appeared on the screen. “Donatello? What’s wrong?”

“Sams is okay. But I don’t think she needs to be here right now. Could you come get her?”

Leo frowned at him. “What happened?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when you get here.”

Leo nodded. “I’m on my way.”

The line closed and Don put the com away. Leo would probably make it before the police. They had certain channels and procedures they had to follow. And because they knew the child was safe for the moment, it was going to be of lower priority.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Leo sprinted through the sewer tunnel and up the ladder that was close to the bookstore, pausing only to throw on his trench coat and hat. He tried to calm his heartbeat as he hurried up the sidewalk to the front door. Don was standing inside near the office door. He opened his mouth, but never got a chance to say whatever it was because Sams stepped through the door. Leo’s chest tightened the moment he saw her distraught expression. He started for her and she met him half way. She threw her arms around him and buried her face against his chest. His arms immediately wrapped around her, pulling her as close as possible. “Sams? Sweetheart, are you alright?”

She shook her head, her body shaking. Leo frowned, looking up at his brother as he approached. “One of Katherine’s students showed up with a black eye. He’s pretty young, nine or ten I’d guess.”

Leo’s eyes widened, then his gaze fell to Sams. _So, that’s why she’s so upset_. He started to turn them towards the door, but paused when Donnie made no move to follow. “Are you coming?”

Don shook his head. “No. Katherine asked me to stay. Don’t worry I’ll stay out of sight while the police are here.”

Leo didn’t much like the idea. They’d never mixed well with the cops. They tended to assume that a giant turtle was the bad guy, even when they’d helped catch the real criminals. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah.” He glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice. “She’s scared.”

“Alright, we’ll see you at home then.”

Don watched his brother and Sams leave before turning back to the office. He found Katherine still sitting at her desk. She held Ryan in her lap with one hand, while holding the ice pack on his cheek with the other. As he stepped closer, he noticed the child wasn’t moving.

“He’s fallen asleep.” She told him, assuaging his fears.

“The adrenaline is probably wearing off. Which means his face will likely hurt worse when he wakes.”

She frowned, her gaze drifting from Ryan back to Don. “Sams…?”

Don sighed. “She had an abusive childhood. I think this brought back some bad memories.”

Her frown deepened as she looked away. “I wish I could have done something sooner, but I knew they wouldn’t believe me.”

“You’re doing something right now. And that’s more than a lot of people would do. I think you’re being very brave protecting him.”

“Brave?” She shook her head a little. “I don’t know about that. I just know I was not going to let that man hurt him anymore.”

The police came shortly after that. Don hid in the back of the store while Katherine gave her statement. Ryan cried when the CPS worker took him from her.  He could hear the heartache in her voice when she asked if she could keep him for the time being. They told her no, that he needed to be at an authorized caregiver’s home. It took a little over a half hour to finish up. When they left with the boy, Don stepped up behind Katherine. She stood with her back to him and her hands clasped in front of her. She seemed to be staring out the glass door after her student.

But Don suspected something else when she didn’t turn back for a long moment.  He set a hand on her shoulder. “Katherine?” She shook beneath his hand and he stepped around her to see her face. Tears streaked her cheeks. He started to reach for her, but paused. They hadn’t known each other a full two days yet. He didn’t want to overstep his bounds.

Her wet eyes met his and she took a step forward. This time he couldn’t prevent himself from reaching for her and encompassing her in a warm embrace. Her voice cracked as she returned it. “I lost another one.”

“What do you mean another one?” He asked softly.

She let out a shuddering breath. “Less than a year ago, another one of my students was removed from their home and sent into the system.” She closed her eyes, pushing past the pain of the loss. “I don’t know where they sent him, but it must have been out of the city. I haven’t heard from him.” She sighed, brushing away her tears and stepping back to look up at him. “They all have such great potential, but I know once they’re in the system they won’t get the encouragement or the support needed. Ryan would have been a great engineer. And Alex…. He would have made a wonderful doctor.” She lowered her gaze in despair.

Don brushed her hair from her face and she looked back up at him. “Even if you never see them again, you’ve made them realize that they can do anything - be anything - they want. That is a precious gift.” He smiled a bit. “And they know you care about them. Otherwise, Ryan would not have come to you for help.”

Her eyes sparkled with the remains of tears, but there was something else there as well. She took his hand and pressed it between hers. “Thank you, Donatello. I’ve never been able to talk to anyone about this.” She sighed. “I’ve never had anyone to talk to about it.”

He squeezed her hand. “You do now.”

She gave him a small smile. “I’m sorry I put you through all this craziness. I suppose you want to go home now.”

He gazed into her beautiful bicolored eyes. “Actually, I’d like to stay, if that’s alright.”

Her smile grew. “It’s more than alright.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Rocksteady stared at the pay phone. It had been eight days since he’d stormed out of the lair, eight days since he’d spoken to his sister. Just thinking about it made his blood boil and his heart clench all at the same time. The desire to know she was okay managed to defeat the lingering anger and resentment. Picking up the receiver, he slid a quarter into the box.

It rang twice before it was answered by Michelangelo on the third. “What’s up?”

Joey rolled his eyes. Why couldn’t he just answer the phone like a normal person. “Let me talk to Sams.”

There was a soft gasp on the other end. “Hey, dude! How’ve you been?”

Joey made a frustrated noise in his throat. “Michelangelo…” He warned.

“Okay, okay. Just a sec.”

A few moments later Sams picked up. “Joey?”

He frowned. She didn’t sound right. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s alright. I just had a rough day at work.” She paused. “It’s good to hear your voice. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m still stayin’ with the old gang.”

“Leo said you were staying with Lugnut. I hope they haven’t talked you into doing anything bad.”

He sighed. “No. But I lost my job ‘cause I didn’t go in for so long, so I may have to make some runs with them. I owe Lugnut that much.”

“Please don’t do that. You know you can come back. I wish you would.”

He frowned. “I ain’t welcome there.”

“Yes, you are! Leo asked you to come back.” She paused. “You didn’t have to hit him, by the way.”

“He deserved it and a lot more if you ask me! He’s lucky I didn’t pound his shell in!” There was silence on the other end and Rocksteady stared at the graffiti on the side of the phone caddy. He let out a long breath. “Why’d ya do it, Sams? Why’d ya lie to me?”

Her voice shook a little as she spoke. “Because I knew you would act like this.  I knew you’d try to keep us apart. That’s what you wanted all along, isn’t it? But I can’t…” She let out a soft sob. “I won’t do it.”

Rocksteady’s frown returned with a vengeance. “Aww, don’t cry Cupcake.”

He could hear Leo talking to her on the other end, but he couldn’t make out the words. “No, I’m okay.” She said apparently shooing him away. She took a deep breath before speaking again. “I want you as a part of my life, Joey. You’re my brother and nothing will ever change that. And I know I owe you a lot for taking care of me all those years. But if you want me as a part of your life, you’re going to have to accept Leonardo as well. Because he is part of mine. And I am not letting him go – for anyone.”

Joey felt the rise of anger, sadness and betrayal all over again. “We could’ve talked it out, you know. You didn’t have to go and do _that_ with him, without tellin’ me nothin’. And why him? Ya coulda had anybody ya wanted. I just don’t see why it has to be one of them turtles.”

“There is a very simple answer for that. I love him. That’s all the reason I need.” She waited for him to respond for a long moment, but he didn’t have anything to say to that. “Come home, Joey. Please.”

For a brief moment her plea almost made him give in, then he shook his head. “That ain’t my home, Sams. I’ll try not to do nothin’ that’ll get me in trouble, like ya asked. But I’m not comin’ back there.  You don’t need to worry ‘bout me no more, I’ll figure somethin’ out.”

“Joey, please….”

“No.” He sighed. “I gotta go.”

She sounded broken-hearted when she responded. “Fine, but call me every once in a while. I just want to know you’re okay.”

“Yeah, sure. Bye, Sams.” He hung up quickly. He didn’t want her to plead with him anymore. He wasn’t sure he could take it. Walking away from the payphone with his own bit of sorrow, he considered his options. He could go back to the gang. They’d take him in without question. But he’d end up doing what he used to do when he was a teen – theft, breaking into places, and demanding protection money. A part of him didn’t mind that at all, maybe even wanted to go back down that road. Because it was the easy one. Another part of him – which unsurprisingly sounded like Sams – didn’t want to.

He looked down at the boots he still wore. Working even for those few weeks had strangely felt good. It had given him pride in himself and new confidence. _Maybe I could go talk to Frank, see if he could pull some strings and get me back on._ But even if he did that, he still had another problem. If he wasn’t staying with the gang, then he was effectively homeless. He sighed. _I guess I’ve come full circle. Started out with nothin’. Endin’ up with nothin’._ There was only one other place he could go. He just didn’t know if he was still there.  Even if he was, Joey wasn’t sure he’d want him there. Sighing, he turned away from his old hood and headed up the sidewalk. The only way to find out was to ask.


	12. Opportunities

Joey pushed open the glass door to the small grocery store. Scanning the room, he finally spotted the person he wanted to see. He was stocking a shelf. Joey frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt a little guilty coming to his friend after all this time. They’d only spoken a few times since their return to their human forms. Taking a deep breath, he approached. “Uh, hey, Arny.”

Bebop looked up from the box he was pulling items from. “Hey, Joey! Man, how’ve ya been?”

Rocksteady shrugged. “I’ve had my ups and downs.” He glanced towards the counter where an older woman was manning the cash register. “I see your mom let ya come back to work for ‘er.”

Bebop frowned, glancing in the same direction. “Yeah, I think she was just happy ta see me. She thought I was dead. I nearly scared her to death showin’ up like I did.” Looking back at Joey, he continued to frown. “Last I talked to ya, you was doin’ good, said ya had a job and everything.”

Joey let out a heavy sigh, looking away. “Yeah, things change.” He glowered at the floor. “And for me it never seems to be for the good.”

Arny’s frown intensified. “What’s that supposed ta mean? I thought ya had a good thing goin’ with Sams and all.”

“Not so much anymore. She picked that turtle over me. I left, lost my job, and I been crashin’ with the old gang for over a week.” Bebop could see the pain in his friend’s gaze when he finally lifted his head to meet his eyes. “She lied to me. She went behind my back and…” The words stuck in Joey’s throat, blocked by betrayal and disgust.

Arny stopped stocking the shelf and stepped around the large box. “She what?”

“She married ‘im. Said it was for me, but it wasn’t.” He sighed running a hand through his tuff of blonde hair. “She thought I’d try to keep ‘em apart. Truth is, I woulda. I woulda done anythin’ to get ‘er out of there. I even made up with my old man for all of a day.”

Bebop looked a bit shocked at the last part. He knew what that man had done to Joey and his sister. “Why’d ya go and do a thing like that?”

“I know! It was stupid! Seems all I ever do is make stupid mistakes. Now, I got no job and no where to stay.” Rocksteady met his old friend’s eyes again. “I hate ta ask, but do ya mind if I crash with ya for a while.”

Bebop smiled. “Buddy, ya know ya don’t even need ta ask. But I’ll do ya one better. We could use some more help round here. Mom can’t do as much as she used ta. And I’ve had ta keep an eye on the creeps that come in here sometimes. This hood’s got worse since we was gone.”

Joey’s eyes widened. “Really? Ya’d let me work here?”

“Well, it’d be Mom’s decision, but I know she won’t care. She’s just happy I’m back. She’s had a pretty rough time since I was gone.”

Joey was completely stunned. “Gee, Arny, I don’t what ta say.”

Bebop smiled. “How ‘bout thanks.”

Joey finally grinned. “Thanks.”

Arny grinned as well. “Good, now how ‘bout helpin’ me out. I got five more boxes in back that gotta be unloaded.”

Joey continued to grin as he pulled the items from the box. “Ya don’t even need ta ask.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

As Leo crossed the lair something caught his eye and he paused to watch Don pace back and forth across his lab. He knew his brother only paced when he was worried about something. Leo decided it was best if he found out what was wrong. Stepping into the doorway, he waited for Don to notice him. When he didn’t Leo spoke up. “Donatello?”

Don stopped and blinked at him, obviously still caught up in his thoughts. “Did you need something, Leonardo?”

The elder turtle frowned. “No, but you look like you have something on your mind. Is it something I should know about?”

Don had started pacing again. “Hm, uh, no. It’s nothing like that.”

“Then what is it? Is it something I can help you with?”

Don stopped again, but didn’t meet Leo’s gaze. “I…I don’t know…”

Leo gave him a small smirk. “Well, the only way to find out, is to ask.”

Don finally looked up at him, his expression very serious. Instead of telling his brother exactly what was bothering him, he asked a question. “How did you know Sams was going to say yes, when you asked her out?”

Leo blinked, surprised by the inquiry. He thought about that for a moment. “Well, I didn’t know for sure she would. I guess I just took a leap of faith. I knew her enough that I thought there was a good chance she would.”

Don frowned, chewing his bottom lip a bit. “But how did you know she’d say yes, being what we are? I mean that she’d even consider such a thing?”

Leo frowned now. “She knew what I was and she never once rejected me for it. She never pulled away when I tried to touch her or moved back when I got close. The only thing I knew for sure was that she wasn’t scared of me – at all. I’m not sure we’ve ever met a human that was not freaked out even a little.” He closed his eyes remembering the morning he’d woke in Sams’ apartment. “The way she accepted me, it told me what kind of person she really was.” He smiled when he opened his eyes to see his brother wearing a contemplative expression. Then it struck him. He knew where this line of questioning came from. “You’re wondering about Katherine?”

Don’s head shot up and Leo chuckled at the blush that crossed his brother’s face.  “Well, uh…yes.”

Leo took the few steps between them to set his hand on Don’s shoulder. “If you want my opinion, I think she’d go for it. She kinda reminds me of Sams the way she looks at us.”

“With no fear.” Don gave a small nod. “But-“

“No, no more buts. You’re overthinking things. In these kinds of situations you have to use your heart and your gut, not your head.”

“Another words, I shouldn’t think about. I should just do it. And accept the outcome.” Donnie frowned again. “I don’t want to lose her friendship though.”

Leo shook his head with a small knowing smile. “Trust me, you won’t.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

“Will Ryan be alright, Miss Kathy?” Crisa asked as Katherine locked up the classroom.

“He will now. They’ll make sure that nobody hurts him again.” Kathrine squeezed the young girl’s shoulder.

“But we’re not ever gonna see him again are we, just like Alex.” Devin’s tone held bitterness.

She sighed looking down at the thirteen year old boy. “I don’t know. But even if we don’t, I have a feeling that he will always remember us, just like Alex will.”

“Do you really think so?” Crisa hoped it was true. She still missed Alex and now she missed Ryan too.

“Yes, I do.” They started towards the front of the store. “Wouldn’t you remember us, if you had to go away?”

Crisa nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes!”

Katherine smiled as they reached the door. “See?” Then her expression turned serious. “I want you both to know how proud I am of you. And if there is ever a day I’m not here for you, I’d hope you’d both continue to believe in yourselves and each other.”

It was Devin’s turn to nod. “We will.”

Katherine gave them a small hug. “Now, it’s getting dark. You two hurry on home. I’ll see you next weekend, okay?”

The two children chimed their agreement as they left. Katherine watched them walk off down the sidewalk. They didn’t live far and the sun was just beginning to set, so she knew they’d get there safely. She sighed inwardly, her own heart was still in turmoil over losing Ryan. Stepping back into the store, she made sure all the main lights were off before picking up her purse and slipping outside. _Well, at least I know he’s safe_. She reminded herself as she began to lock the door.

“Hey, lady!” A male voice called from behind her.

Kathrine turned to blink at the figure in the dying light. “Yes? Can I help you?”

“No, you’ve done enough!” Before she could even register what had happened, the man charged forward, grabbing her by the neck. Katherine gasped as she finally recognized the man. It was Ryan’s uncle. “You picked the wrong person to mess with. Because of you, they stuck me in jail.” He let out a vicious snicker and raised a fist. “But I got bail. And now I’m gonna make you pay!”

Katherine cringed, shutting her eyes and bracing for the blow. But it didn’t come. Instead, their was a grunt and the hand around her neck was ripped away.

“Get away from her!”

Katherine’s heart skipped a beat and her eyes flew open. Standing between her and Ryan’s uncle was Donnie. She gasped. “Donatello!”

The turtle kept his eyes glued to the human, glaring. The man glared right back. “This ain’t no business of yours, pal! Beat it!”

Don growled. “If it’s your intention to harm Katherine, then it most certainly is my business.”

“That ho ruined my life!”

Putting two and two together, it wasn’t hard to guess who the man was. “I’d say you were the one that ruined your life.” Don stated firmly.

“What do you know!” The man threw a fist at Don’s head.

The ninja immediately blocked it and punched the guy in the stomach. To his credit, Ryan’s uncle didn’t fall over. But he did become more angry and reckless. He threw another punch. Don caught it, his own blow catching the man in the side of the head. This time he did go down. Donnie frowned at him on the ground. “It’s not very pleasant being hit by someone stronger than you, is it?”

The man got back to his knees. Don’s hat had been knocked off in the fray and the man finally realized who was in front of him. He gawked up at him. “You’re a turtle!”

Don’s eyes narrowed. “That’s right. Now leave and don’t ever try that again. Or next time I won’t be so nice.” Ryan’s uncle clambered to his feet and hurried away. Donnie finally turned to Kathrine, who’d been watching the encounter with large eyes. He caught her shoulders in his hands. “Are you alright?”

She stared up at him with the same large eyes. “Don…Donatello, what…what are you doing here?”

“You said that you’d be done around this time, so I thought I’d stop by and…” He trailed off, looking up the sidewalk after her assailant. “I guess it was a good thing I did come by.”

He was a bit surprised when she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. A soft sob left her before she spoke. “Thank you.”

He frowned, wrapping his arms around her tightly. “It’s alright.”

For a long time they stood there holding one another as she calmed. Finally, she lifted her head to look at him. But she didn’t release him. She gave him a weak smile, her eyes damp. “Really, thank you.”

He returned the smile. “I’d never let anyone hurt you, Katherine.”

Her smile widened. “What were you stopping by for?”

He blushed. Luckily it was hard to see between the darkening sky and the dim street lights. “Well, I, uh…” He took a deep breath. “I stopped by to see if you’d like to have dinner with me.”

Her eyes widened again and for one horrible second he thought she was going to say no. Then she leaned back into him, resting her head on his chest. “I’d like that very much.”

His pulse raced. “Really?” Then he frowned. “You’re not just saying yes, because I saved you, are you?”

He felt her chuckle in his arms, before she stepped back to look up at him again. “No, I would have said yes anyways. I like spending time with you. And I’m also not just saying yes, because you’re the only person that has ever asked me to dinner before either.”

He stared at her in disbelief. “No one has ever asked you…?” He shook his head. “How is that even possible?”

She frowned a little. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Disbelief still shined in his eyes as he cupped her cheek and slowly ran his fingers through her hair. “Because you’re so…beautiful.”

Katherine’s blush was a dark red, far more easily seen in the street light. It was so endearing that it made Donnie’s body rush with heat. His smile widened as she now wore the expression of disbelief. “That’s a first as well. No one has ever called me beautiful.”

“Well, trust me, it is very true.” He slid his hand down to capture one of hers. “Are you still up for dinner?” She nodded. “I know a little place near here. We’ve gotten to be good friends with the owner over the years.”

She squeezed his hand. “That sounds wonderful.”

They continued to hold hands as they walked the few blocks up to the little Italian restaurant. As Don had said the owner greeted them warmly and took them to a quiet table near the back. He shot Don an encouraging smile as he left to take their orders to the kitchen.

Alone now, Don leaned forward a bit. “Sams told me some time ago that you don’t have any family.”

Katherine shook her head, her hand playing with the chain around her neck. “No, I never knew my parents. I was left as a baby on the doorstep of a church. The only thing I had was this neckless.” She smiled a little at a random memory. “The priest that raised me used to call me his little muse. So when I was old enough, I chose it as my last name.”

Don looked at the chain again. It was a rather inconspicuous piece of jewelry. The chain itself was silver and the pendant held a small stone that seemed to change colors. The stone was surrounded by a silver Y shaped vine. He noted that she didn’t sound sad or bitter about her circumstances. “I don’t know how to relate to such a thing. I have always had my brothers and Master Splinter.”

Katherine blushed and gave a small laugh. “I’m a little ashamed to say, but although I’ve heard about you four, I’ve never really paid much attention to the stories. I don’t watch a lot of television. I only watch when I have nothing else to do, which isn’t often.”

Donnie chuckled. “Well, April will be sad to hear that. But I can understand, you do seem to keep yourself busy.” He sighed. “I wish I had something to do with my time. Lately there hasn’t been much to keep me occupied. That’s why I was glad to help you out. It gave me a chance to feel useful again.”

She raised a light brown brow. “I’d think someone like you would have dozens of projects going at the same time.”

He sat back. “Usually I do. But I haven’t had a need for anything new in a while. It seems most of the insane megalomaniacs have left the city, or are too scared to make a move.” He gave her a charming smile. “Besides, your company is much more preferable to theirs.”

Katherine giggled. “It’s good to know I rank higher than the insane megalomaniacs.”

He grinned. “Much, much higher.”

“Well, if you’re looking for something to do, you could help me tutor. I know the kids would love it.”

Don frowned a bit in thought. “Teach? Honestly, I’ve never considered it.”

She smiled warmly as she laid her hand on his where it rested on the table. “Maybe it’s time to consider it. I think you’d enjoy it. I know I would enjoy you being there.”

Don’s smile was just as warm as he ran his large thumb over her small knuckles. “Then, it is definitely time to consider it.”


	13. The Next Step

## Chapter 13 – The Next Step

Katherine stepped onto the bottom stoop of her apartment building, so she could almost be at Don’s height. She was still short by a few inches though. She smiled at him. “Thank you for walking me home.”

He smiled as well, squeezing her hand. “It was my pleasure. I enjoyed dinner, particularly the company.”

Katherine blushed a bit, offering a gentle smile. “I did too.”

“It was nice to have a pleasant conversation with someone.” His brow furrowed. “I’m not sure I’ve ever had that pleasant of a conversation with anyone.”

Katherine’s eyes shimmered even in the dim street light. “I’m glad you had at least one first as well.”

He gave a small chuckle. “I’m hoping to share a lot more first with you.”

“Me too.” She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Donnie shuddered as her warm body pressed tightly against his and her warm breath danced across the sensitive skin near the rim of his shell. Katherine turned her head to nuzzle against his neck and draw in his scent. It was a very pleasant mixture of earth and leather. He let out a small gasp as his body began to heat with the sensation. For a long moment they stood, wrapped tightly in each other’s arms. Finally, she reluctantly stepped back to meet his eyes. She was surprised to see the same amount of longing in his gaze as there was in hers.

Stroking her cheek with his large fingers, he held her gaze. “I’d like to do this again – soon.”

Laying her hand on his, she squeezed it. “Very soon.” She let out a soft sigh. “I hate for this night to end.”

He gave a small sad nod. “I know. But it has to.”

Lifting a hand, she touched his cheek as well, making sure to meet his eyes. “Goodnight, Donatello.”

“Goodnight, Katherine.”

She squeezed his hand once more before stepping away and climbing the steps to her small studio apartment. He watched her go with a mixture of joy and sadness. _Yes, it will definitely have to be very soon._

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Leo looked up from the movie when Don entered the lair. “I’ll be right back.” He told Sams softly before getting up and following his brother to the area they kept their disguises and other clothes. “Well?”

Donnie glanced at him over his shoulder as he hung up his hat. “Well what?”

Leo gave him a slightly annoyed look. His brother knew exactly what he was asking. “Well, how’d it go? What happened?”

“We had dinner.”

“So, she said yes. And then what?”

“I walked her home.”

Leo was getting a bit tired of Donnie’s elusiveness. He sighed. “Donatello…”

Don smirked as he finally turned around. “Alright. It went very well actually.”

Leo smiled. “Did anything else happen?”

“Not yet.” Donnie didn’t seem to be deterred by that fact though. “But I’d say Katherine is a bit shyer than Sams. I think she prefers to take things slow. And I understand that.” He paused, his smile growing. “But I don’t think it will be long before we take that next step.”

Leo grinned. “Well, you know, you could always make the first move.”

Don gave a small chuckle. “We’ll see.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

Leo held open the glass door for Sams as they stepped into the little grocery store. The older woman behind the cash register smiled politely. “Can I help you?”

Sams gave a small nod. “Yes, I was looking for someone.”

“Cupcake?”

Leo and Sams turned to see Bebop. She grinned and hugged him. “Thanks for calling me, Arny?”

He patted her on the head. “It’s the least I could do.” He stepped back and gave her a sad smile. “He’s been wantin’ ta talk to ya, but he ain’t worked up the nerve.”

Both Sams and Leo frowned. He rubbed her back gently. “We need to settle things.”

Bebop gave a small nod, eyeing the turtle. “Yeah, I know. But, uh, he ain’t too happy with you.”

“I didn’t expect him to be.” Leo said flatly.

“Where is he?” Sams felt a little nervous having her brother and her spouse in the same room. She just hoped Joey could hold his temper long enough for them to talk.

Arny thrust a thumb over his shoulder at a door. “He’s in the back.” This time he glared at Leo. “And don’t break nothin’.”

Leo gave him an irritated look from behind Sams. “If anything gets broken, it won’t be my doing.”

She sighed. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they behave.”

Arny let out a snorted laugh as she and Leo headed for the back of the shop. They weaved their way through stacks of boxes, until they found Joey. He was unloading a pallet and sorting the contents into piles. Samantha glanced up at Leo and he could see the uncertainty in her eyes. Rocksteady would be far more receptive, if he thought Sams was here alone – at least at first. Sighing, he squeezed her shoulder and placed a warm kiss on her cheek. “Go on. I’ll wait here for now.” He said softly in her ear.

Love reflected in her blue eyes a moment before she turned and walked towards her brother. She knew Leo was still uncomfortable with the idea of her and Joey being alone. So, he was compromising by letting her speak with him first alone, but where he could still see her. Rubbing her sweaty palms together, she stopped several paces behind her brother. “Joey.”

Rocksteady stopped mid-lift of a box. Very slowly he turned to look at her. Somehow joy and hurt crossed his face at the same time. “Sams…” He set the box in his hands on a nearby stack. “How did ya find me?”

She allowed a small smile. “Well, I had a little help.”

His gaze shot in the direction of the storefront. “Looks like me and Arny’s got some talkin’ to do.”

“Don’t be mad at him. I’m glad he called. I’m also glad he’s letting you stay with him and work here too.”

Joey’s expression dropped and he let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, me and him’s been through a lot together.  He’s been a good friend. Even when was kids, back before we was…,” he stared down at his human hands, “mutated.”

Sams looked away, remembering just how much her brother had done for her. Even when he’d been missing for all those years, he was doing it for her. “Joey, I’m sorry I hurt you. It was never my intention.”

Joey frowned at her. “I ain’t gonna lie, what ya did - it hurt and it still hurts. You’ve never lied ta me before. It hurt ta think ya didn’t trust me no more. And worse ya didn’t need me no more.” Sams lifted damp eyes to look at him and he took the few steps between them to put a hand on her shoulder.

She opened her mouth to protest. “But I do-.”

But he continued. “I’m your big brother. I’m supposed ta protect ya. And I feel like I didn’t.” He let out another heavy sigh. “But ya know what I’ve been thinkin’, none of that really matters. You’re my baby sister. You’re my Cupcake. And no matter what I’m always gonna love ya.”

Sams threw her arms around his neck. “I love you too.” She murmured between sobs.

After a long moment, she stepped back rubbing her eyes. Rocksteady gave a small grunt and rolled his eyes. “And I guess, Leonard ain’t such a bad guy. Or, at least, I know ya could’ve done a lot worse.” Sams looked up at him in surprise and a small smile glowed through her own heartache.

“Did you just give me a compliment?” It was Rocksteady’s turn to look surprised as he watched Leo step out of the shadows from behind Sams. Leo met his gaze with a guarded one. “Does this mean you’ve accepted our relationship?” He stopped behind his wife, laying his hands gently on her shoulders.

Joey glared hard. “Were you back there spyin’ on us!”

“He wasn’t spying, he was giving us some privacy, so you’d actually talk to me.” She placed one of her hands on Leo’s.

Joey calmed, looking at the pair he gave another grunt. “Yeah, I guess so. It ain’t like I got a choice.” He met his little sister’s eyes. “It’s Sams choice. And if it’s what she wants… Well, I ain’t never been good at tellin’ ‘er no.” He shot Leo a look. “But this don’t mean me and you are buddy-buddy.”

Leo smiled. “I didn’t expect to fix everything between us in one night.” He offered his hand to his ex-enemy, now brother-in-law. “But this is a large leap forward.” Slowly Joey took his hand, accepting a truce between them. Samantha smiled brightly. They might not be best friends, but they were willing to try to make it work for the future.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

**One Week Later**

“Are you coming back next time, Donatello?” Devin had been awestruck to see one of the ninja turtles in his classroom. He was also surprised to find out how much he knew – about everything!

Donnie smiled at the youth. “Yes, I will be here from now on.”

Crisa grinned up at him. “It was really nice to meet you!”

His smile grew a bit. “It was nice meeting you two as well. I hope we will be friends.”

“Yes!” The two children chimed at once.

Behind Donnie, Katherine covered her mouth to muffle her small giggle. She couldn’t help it. This tutoring session had been the best one by far. Both the children and Donnie seemed happy he was there. And she had been overjoyed that he was there as well. Not just for the fact that it was much easier to split their few precious hours between two teacher, but also for the fact that she simply wanted him there. “Alright you two, it’s getting dark. You’d better head on home. And remember not to tell anyone that Donatello was here.”

“We won’t! Bye!”

“See you next Saturday!”

Don gave a small chuckle as the children disappeared around the corner. A moment later the door chimed, declaring their exit. Katherine stepped up next to Donnie. “Well?”

He smiled down at her. “I enjoyed it. It was as fulfilling as you said it would be. And I feel that I’m able to pass on some of my knowledge to them.” He turned fully towards her, cupping her cheek. “Thank you, Katherine. These past few weeks that we’ve known each other have been the best of my life. You’ve given me a new purpose, and for that I will always be grateful.” For a long moment he became lost in her beautiful dichromatic eyes.

“Donatello…” Katherine said softly. He hummed in response, running his large fingers through her soft hair. She blushed a little, causing him to wonder if he was doing something wrong. “Donatello, are you ever going to kiss me?”

He blinked in surprise, then smirked. “I’ve been dying to.”

She blushed again, but not as much this time. “Then why haven’t you?”

His gaze softened a bit. “Because I thought-.” Her lips were suddenly on his. His surprise lasted a mere millisecond, before his arms wrapped tightly around her. The feel of her body pressed firmly to his caused fire to race through his veins. Her tongue ran along his bottom lip causing him to shiver through and through. Eagerly he opened up to her. The moment their tongues touched was like nothing he’d ever experienced in his entire life. It sent shockwaves of electricity from his head to his toes. The kiss was gentle as they explored one another. She tasted like heaven!

Katherine slipped her arms around his neck. It was bliss as his large tongue caressed hers. It was a dream. It had to be a dream. Never before had she felt such peace and hunger at the same time. She wanted more of it. His skin burned beneath her fingers. She could easily lose herself in him, it almost felt like their souls were touching. Their kiss became hungrier. A soft moan left her and his chest vibrated with a low growl, which only seemed to intensify the kiss.

Neither wanted to pull away. But at last she did, panting heavily. “That was incredible.”

Don panted as well, while trying to control his body’s reaction to the kiss. He nuzzled her cheek and kissed her shoulder softly. “Absolutely amazing.” He lifted his head to meet her eyes. “You are amazing, Katherine.”

Smiling, she wrapped her arms around him as far as she could reach while he continued to hold her tightly. She rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes and listening to the thundering of his heart. “That goes double for you.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

## Epilogue

Don smiled as he watched Katherine set his coffee on the desk they now shared in her tiny office. It had been three months since their first kiss and things had only gotten better from there. “Want me to take over?”

He shook his head. “No, I’ve got it.” Working as a team on Katherine’s projects meant they were done faster, which meant more contracts, which meant more money, and that meant they could purchase more equipment for their classroom. It also meant she had more time, which Don was glad to occupy.

She smiled back at him. “Alright, I’ll go help Sams put up the new books.” Leaning forward, she pecked his lips lightly, before leaving the room.

In the storefront, Sams was pulling books from one of the several boxes lined along a wall. She smiled at Katherine as she approached. “Donatello still working?”

“Yes. I thought I’d come help you for a while.” Katherine picked up three books, placing them in the proper spots. Sams looked at the half dozen unopened boxes. “I could sure use it. You guys went a little crazy with the books this time.”

Katherine chuckled. “With Donatello helping with my contracts we’ve finally got a steady income. Which means more books for the store and a few extras for the students.” She picked up a large volume related to physics. “They would never be able to afford these types of resource materials on their own.”

Sams’ smile widened. “They are very lucky to have you and Donatello working with them. Speaking of which, how are things going? You two look pretty happy and he obviously loves coming here on Saturdays with you.”

Katherine closed her eyes with a soft sigh and a warm smile. “It’s been wonderful.”

“You should come down to the lair and meet Master Splinter. He’s been waiting to meet you. I’m surprised Donatello hasn’t already asked you.”

“Oh, he did a while ago, but we’ve both been so busy we haven’t found the time yet. We were planning to-.” She broke off as the door chimed and a man entered.

He was dressed rather oddly with a long gray coat, a black shirt and pants could be seen peeking out from beneath it. He seemed like he was in a hurry as he took in the small bookstore quickly.

Katherine frowned. “Can I help you? Are you looking for something specific?”

The man’s head snapped in her direction. As soon as he saw her bicolored eyes he started across the room. He pointed a finger at her. “You have to come with me.”

Katherine took a step back, her eyes wide. “What!”

“You have to come with me now.” He glanced towards the door nervously.

Katherine shook her head firmly. “No.”

The man’s eyes narrowed, obviously not liking her response. “I’m afraid you don’t have a choice.”

The front door opened again and another man stormed in dressed in similar clothing. He shot Katherine a look, but his gaze went quickly to the first man. “Chresal, that is enough. Leave her be.” The man ordered in a firm tone.

The first man shook his head. “But she’s the only one that can open the door!”

“We’ve discussed this. That is not a certainty. Now come on.”

“No! I won’t! The line may be thin, but she’s the last one!”

This time the older man narrowed his eyes. “No! We have no proof of that!”

The raised voices had drawn Don from the office. Seeing the rather frightened looks both Katherine and Sams wore, he glared at the two men. “Exactly what is going on here?”

Katherine started to take a step towards him, but the man named Chresal grabbed her wrist. She gave a gasp as she was yanked around. “See!” He pointed at her neckless. “She has all the proof we need! She wears the amulet!”

“Get your hands off her!” Don shot across the room so fast the man gasped as Katherine was torn from his hands and he was thrust to the ground. Don clutched Katherine to his plastron. He growled, his glare much darker now. “Who are you!”

The older man near the door frowned, his gaze fixed on Katherine. “We are the Tijodyn. And apparently we have come to ask for your help in saving our world.”

TO BE CONTINUED….

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, looks like there will be a sequel. XD I couldn't help it. I've fallen in love with this cast of characters.


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